MCM2 and TIP30 are prognostic markers in squamous cell/adenosquamous carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the gallbladder

The clinicopathological and biological characteristics of squamous cell/adenosquamous carcinoma (SC/ASC) of the gallbladder remain to be fully elucidated, due to the fact that it is a rare gallbladder cancer subtype. In the current study, the expression of minichromosome maintenance complex component 2 (MCM2) and HIV-1 tat interactive protein 2 (TIP30) was measured in 46 cases of SC/ASC and 80 adenocarcinomas (AC) using immunohistochemistry. Positive MCM2 and negative TIP30 expression were significantly associated with large tumor size, high TNM stage, invasion, lymph node metastasis and lack of surgical curability in SC/ASC and AC. Positive MCM2 and negative TIP30 expression were significantly associated with poor differentiation in AC, whereas only MCM2 was correlated with differentiation in SC/ASC. Univariate Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that positive MCM2 and negative TIP30 expression, the degree of differentiation, tumor size, TNM stage, invasion, lymph node metastasis and surgical curability were significantly associated with post-operative survival in patients with SC/ASC and AC. Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that positive MCM2 and negative TIP30 expression, the degree of differentiation, tumor size, TNM stage, invasion, lymph node metastasis and lack of surgical curability were also independent predictors of poor prognosis in patients with SC/ASC and AC. These data suggest that positive MCM2 and negative TIP30 expression are closely correlated with the clinical, pathological and biological parameters, in addition to poor prognosis in patients with gallbladder cancer.