Overexpression of BMAL-1 is related to progression of urothelial carcinoma in arsenic exposure area

Environmental exposure to arsenic has long been associated with various clinical and pathophysiological aspects of urothelial carcinoma (UC), although the role of arsenic in UC and its impact on circadian proteins, particularly BMAL-1, remains unestablished. Previous research suggests that arsenic upregulates Aurora kinase A (AURKA), subsequently inhibiting GSK-3β, which might lead to overexpression of BMAL-1; nevertheless, the underlying pathway and its clinical significance in UC with arsenic exposure have yet to be validated. This study focuses on two potential upstream regulators of BMAL-1, AURKA and GSK-3β. Ninety-nine tumor tissue samples were retrospectively collected along with their respective clinical data. Immunohistochemistry was employed to assess the expression of each protein. A positive relationship was observed between the expression levels of AURKA and BMAL-1 (p