Endogenous BTG2 expression stimulates migration of bladder cancer cells and correlates with poor clinical prognosis for bladder cancer patients

BACKGROUND: The B-cell translocation gene 2 (BTG2) is considered to act as a tumour-suppressor gene because of its antiproliferative and antimigratory activities. Higher levels of BTG2 expression in tumour cells have been linked to a better clinical outcome for several cancer entities. Here, we investigated the expression and function of BTG2 in bladder cancer. METHODS: The expression of BTG2 in bladder cancer cells was silenced by RNA interference. Cell motility was investigated by wound healing and Boyden chamber assays. The protein expression of BTG2 in bladder cancer was studied by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: We observed that targeted suppression of BTG2 by RNA interference did not result in growth stimulation but led to a substantial inhibition of bladder cancer cell motility. Tissue microarray analyses of bladder cancer cystectomy specimens revealed that higher BTG2 expression levels within the tumours correlated strongly with a decreased cancer-specific survival for bladder cancer patients. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that endogenous BTG2 expression contributes to the migratory potential of bladder cancer cells. Moreover, high levels of BTG2 in bladder cancers are linked to decreased cancer-specific survival. These findings question the conception that BTG2 generally acts as a tumour suppressor and typically represents a favourable clinical marker for cancer patients.