CIP2A expression is elevated in cervical cancer

Early detection of cervical cancer is critical for a favorable prognosis. Standard cytological detection methods, such as Pap smear, are highly subjective and HPV detection is not a reliable marker for predicting the malignancy potential of cervical lesions. As a result, there is a demand for a diagnostic assay capable of sensitive and specific detection of cervical cancer. In this preclinical exploratory study, qRT-PCR and western blotting were used to assess expression levels of CIP2A and p16INK4a in cervical tissue samples (n(normal adjacent) = 23, n(tumor) = 29). CIP2A was abundantly expressed in cervical cancer cell lines and was not expressed in normal epithelial cells. CIP2A mRNA levels were higher in cervical tumor tissues in comparison to the level of CIP2A mRNA in normal adjacent tissue from cervical cancer patients. CIP2A protein was specifically expressed in cervical tumor tissues at different cancer grades and stages, and was not observed in normal adjacent tissue. Elevated CIP2A mRNA levels in cervical tissues had a sensitivity of 80% and specificity of 91% and CIP2A protein expression detection had a sensitivity of 83% and specificity of 100%, similar to that of p16INK4a, with no correlation of CIP2A expression with HPV infection, age, race, or other patient characteristics. However the number of samples analyzed in this preliminary study is limited and a large prospective cohort study is necessary to further evaluate CIP2A as a biomarker for cervical cancer.