High Expression of SOX2 and OCT4 Indicates Radiation Resistance and an Independent Negative Prognosis in Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
Radiotherapy (RT) as a preoperative or postoperative adjuvant or primary treatment is the most common management modality for locally advanced cervical cancer. Radioresistance of tumor cells remains a major therapeutic problem. Consequently, we aimed to explore if the stem cell biomarkers SOX2 and OCT4 protein could be used to predict radioresistance in patients with locally advanced cervical squamous cell carcinoma (LACSCC). These 132 patients were divided into two groups (radiation-resistant and radiation-sensitive groups) according to progress-free survival (PFS). Using pretreatment paraffin-embedded tissues, we evaluated SOX2 and OCT4 expression using immunohistochemical staining. The percentage of overexpression of SOX2 and OCT4 in the radiation-resistant group was much higher than that in the radiation-sensitive group (p<0.001 and p <0.001, respectively). The patients with high expression of SOX2 and OCT4 showed a shorter PFS than those with low expression. Our study suggests that the expression of SOX2 and OCT4 in tumor cells indicates resistance to radiotherapy and that these two factors were important predictors of poor survival in patients with LACSCC (hazard ratio [95% CI], 2.294 [1.013, 5.195] and 2.300 [1.050, 5.037], respectively; p=0.046 and p=0.037, respectively).
Department of Oncology (LS, XH, JY), Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan Province, P.R. ChinaDepartment of Dermatology (XC, JS), Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan Province, P.R. ChinaDepartment of Radiation Oncology (XX), Hunan Provincial Tumal Hospital & Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Hunan Province, P.R. China.
Liangfang
L
Shen
Department of Oncology (LS, XH, JY), Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan Province, P.R. ChinaDepartment of Dermatology (XC, JS), Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan Province, P.R. ChinaDepartment of Radiation Oncology (XX), Hunan Provincial Tumal Hospital & Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Hunan Province, P.R. China.
Xinqiong
X
Huang
Department of Oncology (LS, XH, JY), Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan Province, P.R. ChinaDepartment of Dermatology (XC, JS), Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan Province, P.R. ChinaDepartment of Radiation Oncology (XX), Hunan Provincial Tumal Hospital & Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Hunan Province, P.R. China.
Xiaoxue
X
Xie
Department of Oncology (LS, XH, JY), Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan Province, P.R. ChinaDepartment of Dermatology (XC, JS), Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan Province, P.R. ChinaDepartment of Radiation Oncology (XX), Hunan Provincial Tumal Hospital & Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Hunan Province, P.R. China.
Juan
J
Su
Department of Oncology (LS, XH, JY), Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan Province, P.R. ChinaDepartment of Dermatology (XC, JS), Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan Province, P.R. ChinaDepartment of Radiation Oncology (XX), Hunan Provincial Tumal Hospital & Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Hunan Province, P.R. China.
Jun
J
Yuan
Department of Oncology (LS, XH, JY), Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan Province, P.R. ChinaDepartment of Dermatology (XC, JS), Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan Province, P.R. ChinaDepartment of Radiation Oncology (XX), Hunan Provincial Tumal Hospital & Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Hunan Province, P.R. China 329946394@qq.com.
Xiang
X
Chen
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008875:Middle Aged; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis; D011836:Radiation Tolerance; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy
D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; C494173:POU5F1 protein, human; C527782:SOX2 protein, human; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors
OCT4; SOX2; cancer stem cell; cervical carcinoma; immunohistochemistry; radiation resistance