Genetic Association between NFKBIA and NFKB1 Gene Polymorphisms and the Susceptibility to Head and Neck Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

Germline polymorphisms of the NOD2 pathway may predict the effectiveness of radioiodine in differentiated thyroid cancer treatment

PURPOSE

Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) presents a complex clinical challenge, especially in patients with distant metastases and resistance to standard treatments. This study aimed to investigate the influence of specific genes and their germline single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) linked to both inflammatory processes and other neoplasms on the clinical and pathological characteristics of DTC, particularly their potential impact on radioiodine (RAI) treatment efficacy.

METHODS

This retrospective analysis involved a cohort of 646 patients diagnosed with DTC after thyroidectomy. Study covering 1998-2014, updated in 2023, included 567 women and 79 men (median age: 49; range: 7-83). SNP selection targeted functional significance, while mutational status was assessed by pyrosequencing for comprehensive characterization. Patient genetic profiles were assessed for associations with disease characteristics, RAI response, and cancer pathology.

RESULTS

Significant correlations emerged between certain SNPs and DTC features. Notably, the NOD2 c.802 T > C variant (rs2066842) was identified as a marker distinguishing between papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) and follicular thyroid cancer (FTC). Moreover, the c.802 T allele was associated with an enhanced response to RAI treatment, indicating a more substantial decrease in posttreatment stimulated thyroglobulin (sTg) concentrations. The NFKB1A allele c.126A (rs696) exhibited connections with lower FTC stages and a reduced probability of multifocality.

CONCLUSION

This study explored the molecular mechanisms of particular SNPs, highlighting the role of NOD2 in innate immunity and the stress response, and its potential impact on RAI efficacy. This research underscores the clinical promise of SNP analysis and contributes to personalized treatment strategies for DTC, emphasizing the relevance of genetic factors in cancer progression and treatment outcomes.

N6-methyladenosine-methylomic landscape of lung tissues of mice with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a common respiratory disease, can be divided into stable phase and acute exacerbation phase (AECOPD) and is characterized by inflammation and hyper-immunity. Methylation of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is an epigenetic modification that regulates the expression and functions of genes by influencing post-transcriptional RNA modifications. Its influence on the immune regulation mechanism has attracted great attention. Herein, we present the m6Amethylomic landscape and observe how the methylation of m6A participates in the pathological process of COPD. The m6A modification of 430 genes increased and that of 3995 genes decreased in the lung tissues of mice with stable COPD. The lung tissues of mice with AECOPD exhibited 740 genes with hypermethylated m6A peak and 1373 genes with low m6A peak. These differentially methylated genes participated in signaling pathways related to immune functions. To further clarify the expression levels of differentially methylated genes, RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) and RNA-sequencing data were jointly analyzed. In the stable COPD group, 119 hypermethylated mRNAs (82 upregulated and 37 downregulated mRNAs) and 867 hypomethylated mRNAs (419 upregulated and 448 downregulated mRNAs) were differentially expressed. In the AECOPD group, 87 hypermethylated mRNAs (71 upregulated and 16 downregulated mRNAs) and 358 hypomethylated mRNAs (115 upregulated and 243 downregulated mRNAs) showed differential expression. Many mRNAs were related to immune function and inflammation. Together, this study provides important evidence on the role of RNA methylation of m6A in COPD.

Association between Polymorphism of Genes IL-1A, NFKB1, PAR1, TP53, and UCP2 and Susceptibility to Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in the Brazilian Amazon

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for the vast majority of cases of lung neoplasms. It is formed in multiple stages, with interactions between environmental risk factors and individual genetic susceptibility and with genes involved in the immune and inflammatory response paths, cell or genome stability, and metabolism, among others. Our objective was to evaluate the association between five genetic variants (IL-1A, NFKB1, PAR1, TP53, and UCP2) and the development of NSCLC in the Brazilian Amazon. The study included 263 individuals with and without lung cancer. The samples were analyzed for the genetic variants of NFKB1 (rs28362491), PAR1 (rs11267092), TP53 (rs17878362), IL-1A (rs3783553), and UCP2 (INDEL 45-bp), which were genotyped in PCR, followed by an analysis of the fragments, in which we applied a previously developed set of informative ancestral markers. We used a logistic regression model to identify differences in the allele and the genotypic frequencies among individuals and their association with NSCLC. The variables of gender, age, and smoking were controlled in the multivariate analysis to prevent confusion by association. The individuals that were homozygous for the Del/Del of polymorphism NFKB1 (rs28362491) (p = 0.018; OR = 0.332) demonstrate a significant association with NSCLC, which was similar to that observed in the variants of PAR1 (rs11267092) (p = 0.023; OR = 0.471) and TP53 (rs17878362) (p = 0.041; OR = 0.510). Moreover, the individuals with the Ins/Ins genotype of polymorphism IL-1A (rs3783553) demonstrated greater risk for NSCLC (p = 0.033; OR = 2.002), as did the volunteers with the Del/Del of UCP2 (INDEL 45-bp) (p = 0.031; OR = 2.031). The five polymorphisms investigated can contribute towards NSCLC susceptibility in the population of the Brazilian Amazon.

Identification of biomarkers related to copper metabolism in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension

BACKGROUND

The pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and associated biomarkers remain to be studied. Copper metabolism is an emerging metabolic research direction in many diseases, but its role in PAH is still unclear.

METHODS

PAH-related datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, and 2067 copper metabolism-related genes (CMGs) were obtained from the GeneCards database. Differential expression analysis and the Venn algorithm were used to acquire the differentially expressed CMGs (DE-CMGs). DE-CMGs were then used for the coexpression network construction to screen candidate key genes associated with PAH. Furthermore, the predictive performance of the model was verified by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, and genes with area under the curve (AUC) values greater than 0.8 were selected as diagnostic genes. Then support vector machine, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, and Venn diagrams were applied to detect biomarkers. Moreover, gene set enrichment analysis was performed to explore the function of the biomarkers, and immune-related analyses were utilized to study the infiltration of immune cells. The drug-gene interaction database was used to predict potential therapeutic drugs for PAH using the biomarkers. Biomarkers expression in clinical samples was verified by real-time quantitative PCR.

RESULTS

Four biomarkers (DDIT3, NFKBIA, OSM, and PTGER4) were screened. The ROC analysis showed that the 4 biomarkers performed well (AUCs > 0.7). The high expression groups for the 4 biomarkers were enriched in protein activity-related pathways including protein export, spliceosome and proteasome. Furthermore, 8 immune cell types were significantly different between the two groups, including naive B cells, memory B cells, and resting memory CD4 T cells. Afterward, a gene-drug network was constructed. This network illustrated that STREPTOZOCIN, IBUPROFEN, and CELECOXIB were shared by the PTGER4 and DDIT3. Finally, the results of RT-qPCR in clinical samples further confirmed the results of the public database for the expression of NFKBIA and OSM.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, four biomarkers (DDIT3, NFKBIA, OSM, and PTGER4) with considerable diagnostic values were identified, and a gene-drug network was further constructed. The results of this study may have significant implications for the development of new diagnostic biomarkers and actionable targets to expand treatment options for PAH patients.

Targeted therapy for head and neck cancer: signaling pathways and clinical studies

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is malignant, genetically complex and difficult to treat and is the sixth most frequent cancer, with tobacco, alcohol and human papillomavirus being major risk factors. Based on epigenetic data, HNC is remarkably heterogeneous, and treatment remains challenging. There is a lack of significant improvement in survival and quality of life in patients with HNC. Over half of HNC patients experience locoregional recurrence or distal metastasis despite the current multiple traditional therapeutic strategies and immunotherapy. In addition, resistance to chemotherapy, radiotherapy and some targeted therapies is common. Therefore, it is urgent to explore more effective and tolerable targeted therapies to improve the clinical outcomes of HNC patients. Recent targeted therapy studies have focused on identifying promising biomarkers and developing more effective targeted therapies. A well understanding of the pathogenesis of HNC contributes to learning more about its inner association, which provides novel insight into the development of small molecule inhibitors. In this review, we summarized the vital signaling pathways and discussed the current potential therapeutic targets against critical molecules in HNC, as well as presenting preclinical animal models and ongoing or completed clinical studies about targeted therapy, which may contribute to a more favorable prognosis of HNC. Targeted therapy in combination with other therapies and its limitations were also discussed.

Association between the CYP1A1 MspI polymorphism and risk of head and neck cancer: a meta-analysis

The studies recommended the relationship between lots of polymorphisms with the head and neck cancers (HNCs) risk. Herein, we reported the association between the CYP1A1 MspI polymorphism and the risk of HNC in an updated meta-analysis. The PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases were searched until March 31, 2021, without any restrictions. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were applied to assess a relationship between CYP1A1 MspI polymorphism and the HNC risk based on five applied genetic models by RevMan 5.3 software. Other analyses (sensitivity analysis, meta-regression, and bias analysis) were performed by CMA 2.0 software. Trial sequential analysis (TSA) was done by TSA software (version 0.9.5.10 beta). Among the databases and other sources, 501 recorded were identified that at last, 29 studies were obtained for the analysis. The pooled ORs were 1.28 (95%CI 1.09, 1.51; P = 0.003), 1.68 (95%CI 1.16, 2.45; P = 0.007), 1.24 (95%CI 1.03, 1.50; P = 0.02), 1.26 (95%CI 1.07, 1.48; P = 0.005), and 1.66 (95%CI 1.27, 2.16; P = 0.0002) for allelic, homozygous, heterozygous, recessive, and dominant models, respectively. Therefore, the m2 allele and m1/m2 and m2/m2 genotypes had significantly increased risks in HNC patients. With regards to stable results and enough samples, the findings of the present meta-analysis recommended that there was an association between CYP1A1 MspI polymorphism and the HNC risk.

An Aging-Related Gene Signature-Based Model for Risk Stratification and Prognosis Prediction in Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND

Aging, an inevitable process characterized by functional decline over time, is a significant risk factor for various tumors. However, little is known about aging-related genes (ARGs) in breast cancer (BC). We aimed to explore the potential prognostic role of ARGs and to develop an ARG-based prognosis signature for BC.

METHODS

RNA-sequencing expression profiles and corresponding clinicopathological data of female patients with BC were obtained from public databases in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). An ARG-based risk signature was constructed in the TCGA cohort based on results of least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariate Cox regression analysis, and its prognostic value was further validated in the GSE20685 cohort.

RESULTS

A six ARG-based signature, including CLU, DGAT1, MXI1, NFKBI, PIK3CA and PLAU, was developed in the TCGA cohort and significantly stratified patients into low- and high-risk groups. Patients in the former group showed significantly better prognosis than those in the latter. Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that the ARG risk score was an independent prognostic factor for BC. A predictive nomogram integrating the ARG risk score and three identified factors (age, N- and M-classification) was established in the TCGA cohort and validated in the GSE20685 cohort. Calibration plots showed good consistency between predicted survival probabilities and actual observations.

CONCLUSION

A novel ARG-based risk signature was developed for patients with BC, which can be used for individual prognosis prediction and promoting personalized treatment.

Study on the effect and mechanism of NFKBIA on cervical cancer progress in vitro and in vivo

AIM

NFKBIA is frequently encountered. However, its expression and relevance of the proliferation, invasion, and migration in human cervical cancer (CC) remain unclear. The role and novel mechanism of NFKBIA in CC progression were investigated in this study.

METHODS

We analyzed the expression of NFKBIA in CC and adjacent normal tissues and explored the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HeLa cells by treating with either wild-type NFKBIA plasmid or NFKBIA siRNA. Effect of NFKBIA on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the β-catenin-mediated transcription of target genes were evaluated subsequently.

RESULTS

NFKBIA expression was lower in CC tissues than that of adjacent tissues. An obvious dysregulation of NFKBIA overexpression was revealed in CC cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, which differed from the effect of knockdown NFKBIA. NFKBIA overexpression facilitated the expression of both phosphorylated β-catenin and E-cadherin protein. It inhibited the expression of vimentin, TWIST, as well as downstream targets of β-catenin including c-MYC, TCF-4 and MMP14. Conversely, NFKBIA silencing elevated the expression of c-MYC, TCF-4, and MMP14, and promoted the EMT in HeLa cells. Both endogenous and exogenous NFKBIA interacted with β-catenin. Moreover, β-catenin overexpression stemmed effects of NFKBIA on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HeLa cells. By overexpressing NFKBIA in vivo, the volume and size of tumors were notably decreased, while no obvious alteration was found in mice body weight.

CONCLUSION

By inhibiting β-catenin-mediated transcription, NFKBIA functioning as a tumor suppressor might be introduced as a novel anti-metastatic agent for the treatment of targeted CC.

SMILE Platform: An Innovative Microfluidic Approach for On-Chip Sample Manipulation and Analysis in Oral Cancer Diagnosis

Oral cancer belongs to the group of head and neck cancers, and, despite its large diffusion, it suffers from low consideration in terms of prevention and early diagnosis. The main objective of the SMILE platform is the development of a low-cost device for oral cancer early screening with features of high sensitivity, specificity, and ease of use, with the aim of reaching a large audience of possible users and realizing real prevention of the disease. To achieve this goal, we realized two microfluidic devices exploiting low-cost materials and processes. They can be used in combination or alone to obtain on-chip sample preparation and/or detection of circulating tumor cells, selected as biomarkers of oral cancer. The realized devices are completely transparent with plug-and-play features, obtained thanks to a highly customized architecture which enables users to easily use them, with potential for a common use among physicians or dentists with minimal training.

The Evolving Epidemiology of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The epidemiology of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has long been a source of fascination due to the malignancy's striking geographic distribution, the involvement of the oncogenic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), the unique association with intake of Chinese-style salt-preserved fish, and etiologic heterogeneity by histologic subtype.

METHODS

This review summarizes the current epidemiologic literature on NPC, highlighting recent results from our population-based case-control study in southern China.

RESULTS

Findings from our case-control study provide new insight into the epidemiology of NPC, including a diminished role of Chinese-style salt-preserved fish, a profound impact of EBV genetic sequence variation, modest positive associations with passive smoking and household air pollution, and possible effects of oral health and the oral microbiome. Recent findings from other studies include a protective association with infectious mononucleosis, suggesting a causal role of early EBV infection; familial risk conferred by shared genetic variation in the host antibody-mediated immune response to EBV infection; and an unclear association with occupational exposure to formaldehyde.

CONCLUSIONS

To shed further light on the interplay of environmental, genetic, and viral causes of NPC, large pooled studies must accumulate sufficient cases with detailed exposure data.

IMPACT

New epidemiologic findings have reshaped the causal model for NPC.

NF-κB1 intronic region polymorphisms as risk factor for head and neck cancer in HPV-infected population from Pakistan

BACKGROUND

Head and neck cancer (HNC) developed due to the number of risk factors, including infection of Human Papillomavirus (HPV). The genetic predisposition also plays an important role in deregulating the NF-κB pathway, and certain polymorphisms are reported to affect the pathway genes.

OBJECTIVES

The present study was conducted for the detection of HPV and polymorphisms in the NF-κB1 gene of HNC patients in the Pakistani population.

METHODS

Genomic DNA from HNC tumors samples were extracted using the Exgene SV DNA extraction Kit. Allele-specific PCR and direct sequencing were done for analysis of NF-κB1 SNPs, 94ins/del (rs28362491), rs1598858, and rs4648068.

RESULTS

The genotypes AG (36.2%/ 12%) of rs1598858, and AG (28.3%/ 12%) and GG (28.3%/ 22%) of rs4648068 were associated with significantly (p≤0.05) increased risk of head and neck cancer in studied population. Furthermore, among the HNC cases, genotypes AGrs1598858 (p≤0.014) and GGrs4648068 (p≤0.001) had increased risk of HPV related cancers. Tobacco use (OR-3.158442; [1.140, 8.754]), lymph nodes involvement (OR 4.05128; [1.854, 8.852]), and poorly differentiated tumors (OR 1.997155; [0.940, 4.245]) were positively associated with HPV induced cancers.

CONCLUSION

It was the first comprehensive study from Pakistan, to evaluate the polymorphic variants of NF-κB1. Genotypes AGrs4648068, GGrs4648068, and AGrs1598858 of NF-κB1 gene are associated with increased risk of head and neck cancers in the Pakistani population. It can be concluded that HPV infection, lymph nodes and tobacco use can act synergetic to each other and add up in modulating HNC when present together with intronic SNPs of NF-κB1 gene.

Effects of in IL-1B/IL-1RN variants on the susceptibility to head and neck cancer in a chinese Han population

Background

The study aimed to evaluate the relationship of IL-1B/IL-1RN polymorphisms to the predisposition of head and neck cancer (HNC) in a Chinese Han population.

Methods

Nine single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in IL-1B/IL-1RN were genotyped based on Agena MassARRAY platform. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the genetic association between these SNPs and HNC risk by calculating odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Haplotype analysis were performed using Haploview program and logistic regression model.

Results

The genetic association between rs1143643 in IL-1B and the higher risk of HNC was found (OR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.04–1.46) in the overall. IL-1RN rs17042888 was related to a reduced risk of HNC in the subjects aged > 46 years (OR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.50–0.98) and in females (OR = 0.71, 95% CI 0.52–0.98), while rs1143643 increased the predisposition of HNC among females (OR = 1.76, 95% CI 1.13–2.74). Furthermore, rs1143643 had an increased susceptibility to thyroid carcinoma (OR = 1.61, 95% CI 1.10–2.34). Moreover, compared with stage I–II, the frequency of IL-1RN rs452204-AG genotype was lower in patients with stage III–IV.

Conclusions

IL-1B (rs1143643) and IL-1RN (rs17042888 and rs452204) polymorphisms might be related to the individual susceptibility of HNC in the Chinese Han population. These results might help to improve the understanding of IL-1B and IL-1RN genes in the occurrence of HNC.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12935-021-01750-0.

Human Papillomavirus Infection in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas: Transcriptional Triggers and Changed Disease Patterns

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a heterogeneous group of cancers. Collectively, HNSCC ranks sixth in incidence rate worldwide. Apart from classical risk factors like tobacco and alcohol, infection of human papillomavirus (HPV) is emerging as a discrete risk factor for HNSCC. HPV-positive HNSCC represent a distinct group of diseases that differ in their clinical presentation. These lesions are well-differentiated, occur at an early age, and have better prognosis. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated a specific increase in the proportions of the HPV-positive HNSCC. HPV-positive and HPV-negative HNSCC lesions display different disease progression and clinical response. For tumorigenic-transformation, HPV essentially requires a permissive cellular environment and host cell factors for induction of viral transcription. As the spectrum of host factors is independent of HPV infection at the time of viral entry, presumably entry of HPV only selects host cells that are permissive to establishment of HPV infection. Growing evidence suggest that HPV plays a more active role in a subset of HNSCC, where they are transcriptionally-active. A variety of factors provide a favorable environment for HPV to become transcriptionally-active. The most notable are the set of transcription factors that have direct binding sites on the viral genome. As HPV does not have its own transcription machinery, it is fully dependent on host transcription factors to complete the life cycle. Here, we review and evaluate the current evidence on level of a subset of host transcription factors that influence viral genome, directly or indirectly, in HNSCC. Since many of these transcription factors can independently promote carcinogenesis, the composition of HPV permissive transcription factors in a tumor can serve as a surrogate marker of a separate molecularly-distinct class of HNSCC lesions including those cases, where HPV could not get a chance to infect but may manifest better prognosis.

Determining crucial genes associated with COVID-19 based on COPD Findings✶,✶✶

Genes act in groups known as gene modules, which accomplish different cellular functions in the body. The modular nature of gene networks was used in this study to detect functionally enriched modules in samples obtained from COPD patients. We analyzed modules extracted from COPD samples and identified crucial genes associated with the disease COVID-19. We also extracted modules from a COVID-19 dataset and analyzed a suspected set of genes that may be associated with this deadly disease. We used information available for two other viruses that cause SARS and MERS because their physiology is similar to that of the COVID-19 virus. We report several crucial genes associated with COVID-19: RPA2, POLD4, MAPK8, IRF7, JUN, NFKB1, NFKBIA, CD40LG, FASLG, ICAM1, LIFR, STAT2 and CCR1. Most of these genes are related to the immune system and respiratory organs, which emphasizes the fact that COPD weakens this system and makes patients more susceptible to developing severe COVID-19.

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Association of respiratory disease COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) with COVID-19.

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Discuss the resemblance between SARS, MERS and COVID-19 causal agents.

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Uses gene module analysis and pathway information to determine the role of genes which may be associated with COVID-19.

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Few interesting genes were found which might be potentially useful in designing drugs targeting COVID-19.

Functional variations of NFKB1 and NFKB1A in inflammatory disorders and their implication for therapeutic approaches

Nuclear factor κ-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) is a sophisticated transcription factor that is particularly important in the inflammatory response, but it regulates more than 400 individual and dependent genes for parts of the apoptotic, angiogenic, and proliferative, differentiative, and cell adhesion pathways. NF-κB function is directly inhibited by the binding of inhibitor of κB (IκB), and the imbalance between NF-κB and IκB has been linked to the development and progression of cancer and a variety of inflammatory disorders. These observations might broaden the horizon of current knowledge, particularly on the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases considering the roles of NF-κB and IκB. In this context, we focus this narrative review on a comparative discussion of our findings with other literature regarding variations of NFKB1 and NFKB1A and their association with susceptibility to widespread inflammatory disorders (such as atherosclerosis, morbid obesity, Behçet syndrome, Graves disease, Hashimoto disease) and common cancers (such as gliomas).

Prognostic and clinical implications of c-erbB-2 expression in patients with oral cancer: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Recently, many studies have suggested that the aberrant expression of c-erbB-2 existed in oral cancer (OC) patients and had a correlation with poor clinical features across OC patients. Considering the inconsistent results among published articles, we performed the meta-analysis to assess the prognostic and clinical effect of c-erbB-2 expression on oral tumors.

METHODS

Web of Science, Embase, and PubMed were retrieved to acquire relevant publications based on selection criteria, up to February 8, 2020. Pooled odds ratios (OR) and hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were applied to evaluate the associations between c-erbB-2 expression and overall survival (OS), disease specific survival, disease-free survival as well as clinicopathology of OC.

RESULTS

A total of 30 literatures with 1499 patients for survival of OC were enrolled in this meta-analysis. The results indicated that c-erbB-2 overexpression was significantly associated with poor OS (HR = 2.40, 95% CI = 1.53-2.55, P < .05), disease specific survival (HR = 2.60, 95% CI = 1.11-4.10, P < .05) and disease-free survival (HR = 2.22, 95% CI = 1.46-2.99, P < .05). Subgroup analysis based on race showed that the significant prognostic value of c-erbB-2 in OC was found both in Caucasians and Asians (OS of Caucasians, HR = 2.90, 95% CI = 1.50-4.31, P < .05; OS of Asians, HR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.27-2.53, P < .05). Moreover, OC patients with enhanced c-erbB-2 expression were prone to male (OR = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.22-3.19, P < .05), advanced TNM stage (OR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.17-2.88, P < .05), lymph node metastasis (OR = 2.23, 95% CI = 1.47-3.36, P < .05) and advanced grade (OR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.30-3.01, P < .05), but not associated with distant metastasis (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 0.98-3.04, P > .05).

CONCLUSIONS

c-erbB-2 may be a potential indicator in the prediction of prognosis and clinicopathological features in OC patients.

Human Papillomavirus Infection in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas: Transcriptional Triggers and Changed Disease Patterns

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a heterogeneous group of cancers. Collectively, HNSCC ranks sixth in incidence rate worldwide. Apart from classical risk factors like tobacco and alcohol, infection of human papillomavirus (HPV) is emerging as a discrete risk factor for HNSCC. HPV-positive HNSCC represent a distinct group of diseases that differ in their clinical presentation. These lesions are well-differentiated, occur at an early age, and have better prognosis. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated a specific increase in the proportions of the HPV-positive HNSCC. HPV-positive and HPV-negative HNSCC lesions display different disease progression and clinical response. For tumorigenic-transformation, HPV essentially requires a permissive cellular environment and host cell factors for induction of viral transcription. As the spectrum of host factors is independent of HPV infection at the time of viral entry, presumably entry of HPV only selects host cells that are permissive to establishment of HPV infection. Growing evidence suggest that HPV plays a more active role in a subset of HNSCC, where they are transcriptionally-active. A variety of factors provide a favorable environment for HPV to become transcriptionally-active. The most notable are the set of transcription factors that have direct binding sites on the viral genome. As HPV does not have its own transcription machinery, it is fully dependent on host transcription factors to complete the life cycle. Here, we review and evaluate the current evidence on level of a subset of host transcription factors that influence viral genome, directly or indirectly, in HNSCC. Since many of these transcription factors can independently promote carcinogenesis, the composition of HPV permissive transcription factors in a tumor can serve as a surrogate marker of a separate molecularly-distinct class of HNSCC lesions including those cases, where HPV could not get a chance to infect but may manifest better prognosis.