Prognostic value of CD147 and HIF-2α expression in localized clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Objective: To identify the prognostic significance of CD147 and HIF-2α expressions in localized clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Methods: Tissue microarrays of 74 cases of ccRCC without distant metastasis or invasion were performed by CD147 and HIF-2α immunohistochemical staining. The expressions were qualified by intensity and percentage of tumor cells stained. Results: Increased expression of CD147 was positively correlated with high pT stages (P = .003) and high grade (P = .008). A positive correlation between CD147 and HIF-2α expressions (P = .002, rho = .359) was observed. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that ccRCC patients with high CD147 expression and high HIF-2α expression were significantly associated with poor overall survival (P = .001 and P = .002, respectively). Moreover, a significant difference in overall survival was found among the four coexpression subgroups, low CD147 & low HIF-2α, low CD147 & high HIF-2α, high CD147 & low HIF-2α, and high CD147 & high HIF-2α, of which patients with both high expressions of CD147 and HIF-2α had the poorest prognosis (P = .001). Multivariate survival analysis suggested that the combined expression of CD147 and HIF-2α, instead of CD147 and HIF-2α individually, was an independent prognostic factor. Conclusions: The expressions of CD147 and HIF-2α were significantly correlated with poor survival of patients with localized ccRCC, and combined expression of CD147 and HIF-2α may serve as an independent prognostic factor in localized ccRCC.