title: Clinical significance of TrkB expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: Recent research has demonstrated that tropomyosin‑related kinase B (TrkB) plays an important role in neuronal survival, differentiation and migration; yet, its specific role in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is unclear. To elucidate its role in NPC, we examined TrkB expression in NPC tissues and cell lines, and investigated the correlation between TrkB expression and prognosis in patients with NPC. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed on NPC specimens from 108 patients with follow-up information. Additionally, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot analyses were used to determine TrkB expression levels in NPC and noncancerous nasopharyngeal tissues. RT-PCR and western blot analyses were also used to determine TrkB expression levels in 7 NPC cell lines and a nasopharyngeal epithelium cell line. High TrkB expression was significantly correlated with T classification, lymph node metastasis and clinical stage, respectively. Patients with NPC who had high TrkB expression had reduced disease-free survival and overall survival when compared with patients who had low TrkB expression. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that TrkB overexpression was an independent prognostic factor for patients with NPC. Furthermore, TrkB was overexpressed in NPC specimens and cell lines. TrkB expression levels were significantly increased in NPC specimens, and enhanced levels were correlated with a poor prognosis in patients with NPC. These findings suggest that TrkB may contribute to NPC progression and represent a novel prognostic indicator for patients with NPC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Shi-Sheng
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jia-Jia
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Shuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Qing-Lai
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Bing-Bing
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xin-Ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics; D002277:Carcinoma; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020813:Receptor, trkB; D014335:Tropomyosin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014335:Tropomyosin; D011494:Protein Kinases; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D020813:Receptor, trkB; C000591259:tropomyosin-related kinase-B, human