Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase: A novel biomarker and a potential therapeutic target in lung adenocarcinoma

Chen,Shengsong; Lu,Zhanpeng; Chen,Xiaoyong; Wu,Xiya; Tu,Hongying; Yu,Lingling; Xiao,Zuke

doi:10.3892/ol.2020.12010

Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase: A novel biomarker and a potential therapeutic target in lung adenocarcinoma

Authors:
- Shengsong Chen
- Zhanpeng Lu
- Xiaoyong Chen
- Xiya Wu
- Hongying Tu
- Lingling Yu
- Zuke Xiao
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Affiliations: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China, Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat‑Sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518033, P.R. China, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Jiangxi Provincial People's Hospital Affiliated to Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China
Published online on: August 24, 2020 https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2020.12010
Article Number: 147
Copyright: © Chen et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK), is an adenosine monophosphate‑activated protein kinase‑related kinase that serves important roles in tumourigenesis in multiple malignant tumours. However, to the best of our knowledge, the effect of MELK in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) has not been elucidated. The present study aimed to explore the clinical significance of MELK in the prognosis of LUAD. Data from Oncomine, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were selected to predict the differential mRNA expression levels of MELK mRNA in LUAD and normal tissues. Subsequently, LUAD and adjacent normal tissue samples were collected from 75 patients with the disease, and immunohistochemistry was used to detect the protein expression of MELK. In addition, the Kaplan‑Meier Plotter database, GEPIA and TCGA were used to verify the effect of MELK expression on clinical prognosis in patients with LUAD. MELK was significantly upregulated in LUAD tissues compared with that in normal tissues based on Oncomine, GEPIA and TCGA data (P<0.05). In addition, the results from immunohistochemistry demonstrated that the MELK protein level in LUAD tissues was significantly higher compared with that in matched normal tissues (P<0.05). Prognostic analysis performed using the Kaplan‑Meier plotter, GEPIA and TCGA suggested that the expression of MELK was negatively associated with the overall survival time of patients with LUAD (P<0.05). In conclusion, MELK was highly expressed in LUAD based on bioinformatics and immunohistochemistry analysis, and increased expression of MELK was associated with a poor patient prognosis. MELK may serve as a potential diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for LUAD.

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