Exploring XDH expression as a prognostic marker for urothelial carcinoma

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Cancer Metabolism

Background:

• Xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) is a key enzyme in purine metabolism implicated in carcinogenesis.
• The prognostic role of XDH in urothelial carcinoma (UC) progression has not been clearly defined.
• Transcriptomic data suggests XDH is downregulated during UC progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prognostic value of XDH immunoexpression in urinary bladder (UBUC) and upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC).
• To correlate XDH expression with clinicopathological features and patient survival outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Immunohistochemical staining for XDH was performed on 340 UTUC and 295 UBUC specimens.
• Statistical analyses included Pearson's chi-square test, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models.
• Gene co-expression analysis was conducted using the Gene Ontology (GO) classification system.

Main Results:

• Low XDH expression was significantly associated with advanced tumor stage, nodal metastasis, high grade, and invasive features (P < 0.01).
• Low XDH expression correlated with poorer disease-specific survival (DSS) and metastasis-free survival (MFS) (P < 0.001).
• XDH expression was identified as an independent prognostic factor for DSS and MFS in both UBUC and UTUC (P < 0.01).

Conclusions:

• Reduced XDH expression in urothelial carcinoma is linked to aggressive pathological characteristics and adverse oncological outcomes.
• XDH immunoexpression serves as a significant independent prognostic biomarker for UC patients.
• XDH warrants further investigation as a potential therapeutic target in UC.