title: Prognostic significance of Beclin-1 expression in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: Beclin-1 plays a critical role in the regulation of autophagy, apoptosis, differentiation and the development and progression of cancer. The aim of the present investigation was to analyze the Beclin-1 protein expression and to assess its prognostic significance in tissue of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). Beclin-1 protein expression in 82 primary laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and 40 paracarcinoma non-tumor tissue samples was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and correlated with clinicopathological parameters and patients' outcome. The expression of Beclin-1 in tumor tissues was significantly lower than that in non-tumor tissues (P = 0.035). Reduced Beclin-1 expression was significantly correlated with lymph node metastases (P = 0.021). Kaplan-Meier survival estimates showed a significant correlation between Beclin-1 expression and patient's survival rate (log-rank P < 0.05). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards model analysis confirmed that lymph node metastases (P = 0.048) and Beclin-1 expression (P = 0.029) were statistically significant, independent prognostic factors for LSCC. Our findings suggested that decreased Beclin-1 expression and lymph node metastases, as examined by immunohistochemistry, are both independent biomarker for poor prognosis of patients with LSCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 37, Guoxue Lane, Chengdu, 610041, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Shuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shi-Sheng
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xin-Ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D000071186:Beclin-1; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C491997:BECN1 protein, human; D000071186:Beclin-1; D008565:Membrane Proteins