Molecular Biomarkers of Laryngeal Cancer

Low expression of miR-20b-5p indicates favorable prognosis in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, especially in patients with non-infiltrated regional lymph nodes

PURPOSE

Tumor recurrence and distant metastasis are very common in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). In this study, we examined the potential prognostic value of microRNA-20b-5p (miR-20b-5p), a component of the tumor-related miR-106a/363 cluster.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Total RNA was purified from 105 tissue specimens resected from patients having undergone surgical treatment for primary LSCC. After in vitro polyadenylation and reverse transcription, a sensitive real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) methodology was applied for the relative quantification of miR-20b-5p levels. Then, we proceeded with biostatistical analysis, seeking to assess the prognostic value of miR-20b-5p expression in LSCC.

RESULTS

miR-20b-5p positivity constitutes a predictor of inferior DFS and OS in LSCC (P < 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively). The significant prognostic value of miR-20b-5p expression status seems to be independent of tumor size, histological grade, and TNM stage, as revealed by the multivariate bootstrap Cox regression analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed also that miR-20b-5p expression status can stratify LSCC patients with non-infiltrated regional lymph nodes (N0) into two subgroups with distinct prognosis (P = 0.004 and P = 0.004, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The miR-20b-5p expression status is a promising molecular tissue biomarker in LSCC, with an independent prognostic value, and thus merits further validation in larger cohorts of patients.

Expression of vimentin (VIM) and metastasis-associated 1 (MTA1) protein in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma are associated with prognostic outcome of patients

PURPOSE

Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), a common type of head and neck cancer, is associated with high rates of metastasis and recurrence. In this study, we investigated the potential combinatorial prognostic value of NOTCH1, Vimentin (VIM), and Metastasis-associated 1 (MTA1) protein in LSCC, using immunohistochemistry.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Tissue specimens from 69 patients with LSCC were immunohistochemically evaluated for the protein expression of NOTCH1, VIM, and MTA1. Then, biostatistical analysis was performed, in order to assess the prognostic value of the expression of each one of these proteins.

RESULTS

NOTCH1 expression status was not a significant prognosticator in LSCC, as shown in Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. On the contrary, both VIM and MTA1 seem to have an important prognostic potential, independently of TNM staging and histological grade of the tumor. In fact, positive VIM expression was shown to predict patients' relapse and poor outcome regarding patients' overall survival, in contrast with MTA1, the positive expression of which predicts higher disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates in LSCC.

CONCLUSIONS

VIM and MTA1 constitute potential tumor biomarkers in LSCC and could be integrated into a multiparametric prognostic model. Undoubtedly, their prognostic value needs further validation in larger cohorts of LSCC patients.

High BAX/BCL2 mRNA ratio predicts favorable prognosis in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, particularly in patients with negative lymph nodes at the time of diagnosis

OBJECTIVES

Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), a common type of head and neck cancer, is associated with high rates of metastasis and recurrence. Therefore, accurate prognostic stratification of LSCC patients based on molecular prognostic tumor biomarkers would definitely lead to a better clinical management of this malignancy. The aim of this study was the investigation of the potential combinatorial prognostic value of BCL2 and BAX mRNA expression in LSCC.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Total RNA was isolated from 105 cancerous laryngeal tissue specimens obtained from patients having undergone surgical treatment for primary LSCC. After cDNA preparation, a low-cost, in-house developed, sensitive and accurate real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) methodology was applied for the quantification of BCL2 and BAX mRNA levels. Then, we carried out a biostatistical analysis to assess the prognostic value of the BAX/BCL2 mRNA expression ratio.

RESULTS

High BAX/BCL2 mRNA expression constitutes a favorable prognosticator in LSCC, predicting significantly longer disease-free survival (P=0.011) and overall survival (P=0.014) of patients. More importantly, the significant prognostic value of the BAX/BCL2 mRNA expression appeared to be independent of the histological grade and size of the malignant laryngeal tumor as well as TNM stage, as revealed by the multivariate bootstrap Cox regression analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated also that the BAX/BCL2 ratio can stratify node-negative (N0) LSCC patients into two subgroups with significantly different DFS and OS (P=0.021 and P=0.009, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The BAX/BCL2 mRNA ratio is a putative molecular tissue biomarker in CLL and hence deserves further validation in larger cohorts of LSCC patients.