Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) positivity correlates with poor prognosis in cervical cancer

ObjectiveTo analyse the associations between aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) tumour immunopositivity and disease-free survival in cervical carcinoma.MethodsALDH1 immunohistochemistry was performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin wax-embedded cervical tumour tissue samples obtained from hospital archives. Data regarding disease-free survival were obtained. Kaplan–Meier survival analyses and Cox proportional hazards regression models were performed.ResultsPatients with ALDH1-positive tumours (n = 31) had significantly shorter disease-free survival than those with ALDH1-negative tumours (n = 167; 41.99 ± 0.90 vs 53.64 ± 2.67 months). ALDH1 positivity was associated with poor prognosis (relative risk 2.727; 95% confidence intervals 1.253, 5.914).ConclusionsALDH1 positivity is associated with poor prognosis of cervical carcinoma, and may be an independent predictor of prognosis.