High MCM6 Expression as a Potential Prognostic Marker in Clear-cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Aim: Minichromosome maintenance (MCM) proteins are involved in initiation of DNA replication and cell-cycle progression. Loss of MCM function results in genomic instability and causes carcinogenesis. Among MCM genes, the role and prognostic value of MCM6 expression in clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) has not been elucidated.

Materials and methods: We assessed the mRNA expression level of MCM6 using the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis database and investigated MCM6 protein expression by immunohistochemistry in 238 ccRCC cases.

Results: High MCM6 expression was significantly associated with increasing tumor size, pT, stage, tumor necrosis, and metastasis. Furthermore, high MCM6 expression was significantly associated with shorter overall and disease-free survival, and was an independent unfavorable prognostic marker. Regarding patients with metastasis, high MCM6-expressing ccRCC conferred significantly shorter survival than for those with low expression.

Conclusion: A high MCM6 expression level may be a promising biomarker to predict tumor progression, metastasis, and survival in patients with ccRCC.