title: High SEPT9_v1 Expression Is Associated with Poor Clinical Outcomes in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
abstract: The purpose of this work was to determine SEPT9_v1 expression levels in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and to analyze whether SEPT9_v1 expression is relevant to clinical outcomes. Recently, the SEPT9 isoform SEPT9_v1 has been implicated in oncogenesis, and methylation of the SEPT9 promoter region was reported in HNSCC. These findings led us to hypothesize that SEPT9_v1 could be differently expressed in HNSCC. To determine whether SEPT9_v1 is expressed in HNSCC, tissue microarray immunohistochemical analysis was performed using a SEPT9_v1-specific antibody. Tissue microarrays stained with a polyclonal SEPT9_v1-specific antibody was used to determine protein expression levels in HNSCC tissue samples, some with known clinical outcomes. This analysis showed that SEPT9_v1 is in fact highly expressed in HNSCC compared with normal epithelium, and high expression levels directly correlated with poor clinical outcomes. Specifically, a high SEPT9_v1 expression was associated with decreased disease-specific survival (P = .012), time to indication of surgery at primary site (P = .008), response to induction chemotherapy (P = .0002), and response to chemotherapy (P = .02), as well as advanced tumor stage (P = .012) and N stage (P = .0014). The expression of SEPT9_v1 was also strongly correlated with smoking status (P = .00094). SEPT9_v1 is highly expressed in HNSCC, and a high expression of SEPT9_v1 is associated with poor clinical outcomes. These data indicate that SEPT9_v1 warrants additional investigation as a potential biomarker for HNSCC.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stanbery
authors.forename: Nisha J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: D'Silva
authors.forename: Julia S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Carol R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Bradford
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Carey
authors.forename: Mark E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Prince
authors.forename: Gregory T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Francis P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Worden
authors.forename: Kitrina G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Cordell
authors.forename: Elizabeth M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Petty