Expressions and clinical significance of autophagy-related markers Beclin1, LC3, and EGFR in human cervical squamous cell carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to investigate the expression of EGFR and the autophagy-related markers Beclin1 and LC3 in cervical cancer.


METHODS
Beclin1, LC3, and EGFR expression were analyzed in 80 samples of cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 40 samples of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), and 40 samples of normal cervical tissues by immunohistochemistry. The protein expression rates were analyzed with χ (2) and Fisher's exact tests. Differences in overall survival (OS) were determined using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank tests.


RESULTS
Cervical cancer, high-grade CIN, and normal cervical epithelial cells expressed Beclin1 in 26.2%, 77.5%, and 82.5% of patients, respectively, and expressed LC3 in 28.8%, 70.0%, and 75.0% of patients, respectively. There was a significant difference between cervical SCC and high-grade CIN or normal cervical epithelial cells (P=0.000). Cervical cancer cells, high-grade CIN cells, and normal cervical epithelial cells expressed EGFR in 68.8%, 62.5%, and 12.5% of patients, respectively. There was a significant difference between cervical SCC or high-grade CIN and normal cervical epithelial cells (P=0.000). No significant association between Beclin1 or LC3 or EGFR expression and various clinicopathological parameters was observed in cervical SCC. There was no significant correlation between Beclin1, LC3, EGFR expression, and 5-year OS rates of cervical SCC patients. Beclin1- or LC3-negativity with EGFR-positivity in cervical SCC was associated with a higher Federation International of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage (P=0.011 and P=0.013, respectively) and pelvic lymph node metastasis (P=0.036 and P=0.092, respectively). The 5-year OS rates did not significantly differ between Beclin1- or LC3-positive and -negative patients with positive EGFR.


CONCLUSIONS
Autophagy was downregulated and EGFR was upregulated in cervical SCC. Autophagy downregulation combined with EGFR upregulation promotes the progression of cervical SCC.
Department of Oncology, Yan'an University Affiliated Hospital, Yan'an, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China.
Yun-Feng
YF
Hu
Department of Gynecology, Yan'an University Affiliated Hospital, Yan'an, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China.
Xia
X
Lei
Department of Urology, Yan'an University Affiliated Hospital, Yan'an, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China.
Hong-Yi
HY
Zhang
Department of Oncology, Yan'an University Affiliated Hospital, Yan'an, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China.
Jun-Wei
JW
Ma
Department of Oncology, Yan'an University Affiliated Hospital, Yan'an, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China.
Wei-Wei
WW
Yang
Department of Oncology, Yan'an University Affiliated Hospital, Yan'an, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China.
Min-Lin
ML
Chen
Department of Oncology, Yan'an University Affiliated Hospital, Yan'an, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China ; Department of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China.
Jie
J
Cui
Department of Oncology, Yan'an University Affiliated Hospital, Yan'an, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China.
Hong
H
Zhao
Beclin1; EGFR; LC3; autophagy; cervical squamous cell carcinoma; immunohistochemistry