EPOR Expression Is Independently Associated With Survival in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The prognostic relevance of erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) expression in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remains incompletely defined. We evaluated whether EPOR expression is associated with overall survival in The Cancer Genome Atlas Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma cohort (TCGA-KIRC) and whether this association persists after joint adjustment for erythropoietin (EPO) expression.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

Transcriptomic and clinical data from TCGA-KIRC were analyzed. EPOR expression was modeled as a z-scored continuous variable. Cox proportional hazards models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for overall survival.

RESULTS

Higher EPOR expression was associated with worse overall survival in univariable analysis (HR=1.37, 95%CI=1.19-1.58, p<0.001) and remained independently associated with survival after adjustment for age and tumor stage, and in an exploratory joint model including EPO expression (HR=1.43, 95%CI=1.23-1.66, p<0.001). EPO was not associated with survival (HR=1.02, 95%CI=0.89-1.17, p=0.762).

CONCLUSION

Higher EPOR expression was independently associated with worse overall survival in ccRCC after adjustment for clinical covariates and EPO expression. These findings support further study of EPOR as a potential prognostic biomarker in ccRCC.