title: Lactotransferrin could be a novel independent molecular prognosticator of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: Lactotransferrin (LTF), also known as lactoferrin, is a key component of innate immune defense. We previously reported that LTF was downregulated in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and could suppress NPC cell proliferation. However, the relevance of the relationship between LTF expression and NPC clinical outcome has not been reported. This study aims to assess the possible correlations between LTF expression and clinical parameters and its potential prognostic predictive ability in the outcomes of patients with NPC. Complementary DNA (cDNA) microarray, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and immunohistochemistry (IHC) results suggested that LTF expression was significantly downregulated in NPC tissues compared to non-NPC tissues. LTF was negatively correlated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.042), T stage (P < 0.001), clinical tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage (P = 0.022), and EBV-encoded RNA 1 (EBER-1) expression (r = -.167, P = 0.016). A survival analysis of 108 patients with NPC revealed that positive expression of LTF could predict a good prognosis [disease-free survival (DFS): P = 0.043, overall survival (OS): P = 0.040]. Multivariable analysis revealed that LTF could independently predict prognosis (DFS: HR = 0.414, P = 0.003; OS: HR = 0.309, P = 0.005). These observations indicated that LTF is a potential prognostic factor of NPC.
authors.affiliation: Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Wenling
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Songqing
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Guoying
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Zhaoyang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Yanhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xiayu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xinlin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiaoling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Guiyuan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002277:Carcinoma; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000235:genetics; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D007781:Lactoferrin