Prognostic significance of metastasis associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) expression in patients with gallbladder cancer.

The clinical significance of metastasis associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1), in human gallbladder cancer, is not yet established. This study was performed to assess the expression of MACC1 in benign and malignant gallbladder lesions, and to assess its clinicopathological significance. Tissue samples from resected gallbladder cancer (n=70) and cholelithiasis (n=70) were evaluated for MACC1 expression by immunohistochemical staining. Their expression was correlated with different clinicopathological parameters. Cytoplasmic MACC1 expression was significantly higher (58.6%) in gallbladder cancer than in chronic cholecystitis (27.1%, P<0.001). High MACC1 levels were associated with lymph node metastasis (P<0.05), tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage (P<0.01), and perineural invasion (P<0.01), but not with sex, age, history of gallstones or histological grade (P>0.05). The univariate Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that a positive MACC1 expression was associated with decreased overall survival (P<0.001). The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that MACC1 expression and the histopathological subtypes were independent risk factors for disease-free survival. The expression of MACC1 might be closely related to carcinogenesis, clinical biological behaviors, and prognosis of gallbladder adenocarcinoma.