Abstract
Background and Objective Serine hydroxymethyltransferase 2 (SHMT2) functions as a key enzyme in serine/glycine biosynthesis and one-carbon metabolism. Recent studies have shown that SHMT2 participated in tumor growth and progression in a variety of cancer types. The objective of the present study is to explore the expression of SHMT2 and evaluate its prognostic value in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA). Patients and Methods We retrospectively investigated the expression of SHMT2 in 100 primary iCCA samples through immunohistochemical (IHC) staining on a tissue array. Results High SHMT2 expression was found in 52 of the 100 specimens. The results indicated that SHMT2 level was upregulated compared to adjacent nontumor intrahepatic bile duct tissue. Furthermore, SHMT2 level was closely associated with tumor T stage (P = 0.017) and tumor TNM stage (P = 0.041) in patients with iCCA, but not with age, gender, tumor size, tumor number, pathological grade, vascular invasion, or N stage. Moreover, Kaplan-Meier analysis suggested that patients with lower SHMT2 level have longer survival rate than those with high expression (45.8 vs 23.1%, P = 0.030). Additionally, the multivariate analysis model indicated SHMT2 is an independent adverse prognosticator in iCCA. Conclusion High SHMT2 level was correlated with poorer overall survival in patients with iCCA. SHMT2 was proved to be a powerful and independent prognostic factor and a potential therapeutic target for patients with iCCA.
Highlights
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is the second most common primary hepatic malignancy, with an increasing incidence rate reported worldwide
The IHC staining results showed that Serine hydroxymethyltransferase 2 (SHMT2) was primarily expressed in the cytoplasm in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA)
High SHMT2 expression was observed in 52 tumor specimens of the total 100 cases, according to previous criteria
Summary
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is the second most common primary hepatic malignancy, with an increasing incidence rate reported worldwide. Recent studies have shown that SHMT2 expression has increased significantly in various types of cancer and correlates with poor prognosis [6,7,8,9,10]. Recent studies have shown that SHMT2 participated in tumor growth and progression in a variety of cancer types. The objective of the present study is to explore the expression of SHMT2 and evaluate its prognostic value in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA). Kaplan-Meier analysis suggested that patients with lower SHMT2 level have longer survival rate than those with high expression (45.8 vs 23.1%, P = 0 030). High SHMT2 level was correlated with poorer overall survival in patients with iCCA. SHMT2 was proved to be a powerful and independent prognostic factor and a potential therapeutic target for patients with iCCA
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
