title: Elevated expression of histone demethylase PHF8 associates with adverse prognosis in patients of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Overexpression of histone demethylase PHF8 has been reported to function as an oncoprotein in many cancers; however, the implications of PHF8 involvement in laryngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LHSCC) remain unclear. This study aims to explore the expression of PHF8 and its clinical significance in LHSCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were performed to evaluate PHF8 protein expression in fresh and archived LHSCC samples. Global expressions of H3K27 and H3K9 methylation were analyzed in a cell line with PHF8 siRNA treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our study, PHF8 was upregulated in fresh LHSCC tissues. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that the expression of PHF8 was positively associated with T classification, clinical stage, primary tumor position and tumor relapse. Survival analysis demonstrated that high PHF8 expression was significantly associated with shorter overall survival and disease-free survival. Moreover, PHF8 regulates the levels of H3K9me2 and H3K27me2 in LHSCC. Taken together, PHF8 might be a novel prognostic marker for this disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Xiangya Road 87, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Gangcai
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Lijun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: She
authors.forename: Haolei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Changhan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhongwu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Donghai
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yongquan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Yuanzheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005260:Female; D056466:Histone Demethylases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007012:Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality*; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008745:Methylation; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006657:Histones; D014157:Transcription Factors; D056466:Histone Demethylases; C511934:PHF8 protein, human
keywords: H3K27; H3K9; PHF8; epigenetic marker; histone demethylation; laryngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma; metastasis; recurrence; squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck; survival time