Upregulation of nemo-like kinase is an independent prognostic factor in colorectal cancer

Table 3 Univariate and multivariate analyses in colorectal cancer tissue specimens (n = 712)

Variables	Overall survival		Disease-free survival
	HR (95%CI)	P value	HR (95%CI)	P value
Univariate analyses
Sex (male vs female)	0.84 (0.58-1.23)	0.376	0.86 (0.63-1.18)	0.342
Age (≥ 60 yr vs < 60 yr)	1.24 (0.85-1.80)	0.259	0.95 (0.69-1.30)	0.734
TNM stage (IV/III vs II/I)	3.11 (2.06-4.70)	< 0.001	2.37 (1.72-3.27)	< 0.001
Differentiation (poor/mucinous adenocarcinoma vs well/moderate)	1.54 (0.93-2.55)	0.094	1.33 (0.85-2.08)	0.219
Position (rectal vs colon)	0.56 (0.38-0.83)	0.003	0.92 (0.66-1.23)	0.506
CEA (≥ 5 ng/mL vs < 5 ng/mL)	1.97 (1.36-2.85)	< 0.001	1.63 (1.19-2.21)	0.002
CA19-9 (≥ 37 U/mL vs < 37 U/mL)	2.27 (1.50-3.42)	< 0.001	1.89 (1.31-2.72)	0.001
NLK (++/+++ vs -/+)	2.19 (1.44-3.35)	< 0.001	2.71 (1.86-3.94)	< 0.001
Postoperative radiochemotherapy (yes vs no)	2.42 (1.30-4.51)	0.005	2.69 (1.60-4.50)	< 0.001
Multivariate analyses
TNM stage (IV/III vs II/I)	3.02 (1.99-4.59)	< 0.001	2.34 (1.70-3.22)	< 0.001
Differentiation (poor/mucinous adenocarcinoma vs well/moderate)	1.78 (1.06-2.98)	0.029	1.45 (0.94-2.24)	0.091
Position (rectal vs colon)	0.49 (0.33-0.72)	< 0.001	0.80 (0.59-1.08)	0.143
CEA (≥ 5 ng/mL vs < 5 ng/mL)	1.56 (1.04-2.35)	0.032	1.31 (0.95-1.81)	0.099
CA19-9 (≥ 37 U/mL vs < 37 U/mL)	1.54 (0.99-2.41)	0.058	1.76 (1.24-2.49)	0.002
NLK (++/+++ vs -/+)	2.57 (1.66-3.98)	< 0.001	1.96 (1.40-2.74)	< 0.001
Postoperative radiochemotherapy (yes vs no)	1.04 (0.50-2.16)	0.921	1.64 (0.93-2.92)	0.090

CA19-9: Cancer antigen 19-9; CEA: Carcinoembryonic antigen; CI: Confidence interval; HR: Hazard ratio; NLK: Nemo-like kinase; TNM: Tumor-node-metastasis.