High-level MAD2 expression was observed in 26.3% (94 of 358 cases), and correlated with male sex (P=0.0002), tumor progression (pT status) (P=0.0009), visceral or parietal pleural invasion (P=0.0151), non-adenocarcinoma, histological classification (P<0.0001), and smoking history (P=0.0022), but not with patient age or lymph node metastasis (pN status).
We wanted to investigate whether Aurora A, Aurora B, BUB1B and Mad2 were associated with the development of aneuploidy in colorectal adenocarcinomas as suggested by several in vitro studies, and if their protein levels were related to alterations at the corresponding chromosomal loci.
Gene expression levels of the MAD2 and BUB1 mitotic spindle checkpoint genes were assessed in 37 Barrett's patients (with histology ranging from metaplasia to adenocarcinoma) by real-time RT-PCR.
Mad2 was significantly overexpressed in colorectal cancer compared with corresponding normal mucosa (P<0.01, chi(2) = 7.5), and it was related to the differentiation of adenocarcinoma, lymph node metastasis and survival period after excision (P<0.05, chi(2) = 7.72, chi(2) = 4.302, chi(2) = 6.234).