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

Objective: To analyse the associations between aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) tumour immunopositivity and disease-free survival in cervical carcinoma. Methods: ALDH1 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. Results: Patients 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). Conclusions: ALDH1 positivity is associated with poor prognosis of cervical carcinoma, and may be an independent predictor of prognosis.