The Notch and TGF-β Signaling Pathways Contribute to the Aggressiveness of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
Figure 2
High TGF-β signaling pathway activity is associated with decreased patient survival.
(A) Kaplan-Meier curves comparing disease-specific survival among 176 CCRCC patients divided into quartiles based on the TGF-β activity score. High TGF-β pathway activity score (76–100%) was significantly (log-rank, p = 0.006) associated with a worse disease-specific survival. (B) Immunohistochemical analyses using phospho-specific SMAD2 (pSMAD2) antibody of control (c) or SB431542 treated 786-O cells. Sections were counterstained with hematoxylin-eosin. Original magnification, ×40. (C) pSMAD2 is expressed in vivo. Immunohistochemistry of pSMAD2 in nine CCRCC tumors, that all showed positive nuclear staining. Sections were counterstained with hematoxylin-eosin. Original magnification, ×40.