Expression of FOXP1 and Colorectal Cancer Prognosis.
BACKGROUND
Forkhead box gene P1 (FOXP1) has proven to be a valuable prognostic biomarker in lymphomas, but little is known about this gene in colorectal cancer (CRC).


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the expression of FOXP1 in CRC and its potential associations with outcome in CRC.


METHODS
We studied the expression pattern of FOXP1 retrospectively via immunohistochemistry in a series of 165 - CRC cases. Fluorescent in situ hybridization and RNA sequencing on FOXP1 knockdown cell lines were performed to investigate the mechanism of action and target genes of FOXP1.


RESULTS
Complete loss of nuclear FOXP1 expression was observed in 11.5% of the subjects. A total of 70.9% of subjects showed a heterogeneous FOXP1 expression pattern, and 17.6% of them had high FOXP1 expression. Impaired expression of FOXP1 was significantly correlated with reduced survival rates by multivariate analysis (P = .004). We found no chromosomal aberrations involving FOXP1 in individuals with FOXP1 negativity via immunohistochemical testing. RNA sequencing revealed that genes involved in inflammation and cell proliferation were differentially expressed after FOXP1 knockdown.


CONCLUSIONS
In our case series, loss of FOXP1 was associated with reduced survival rates in CRC tissue. Also, FOXP1 affects proliferation and inflammatory reaction in colorectal neoplasia.
Translational Cell and Tissue Research Unit, Department of Imaging and Pathologie, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Linde
L
De Smedt
Translational Cell and Tissue Research Unit, Department of Imaging and Pathologie, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Sofie
S
Palmans
Translational Cell and Tissue Research Unit, Department of Imaging and Pathologie, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Olivier
O
Govaere
Vesalius Research Center, Vlaams instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Leuven, Belgium Laboratory for Translational Genetics, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven Belgium.
Matthieu
M
Moisse
Vesalius Research Center, Vlaams instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Leuven, Belgium Laboratory for Translational Genetics, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven Belgium.
Bram
B
Boeckx
Vesalius Research Center, Vlaams instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Leuven, Belgium Laboratory for Translational Genetics, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven Belgium.
Gert
G
De Hertogh
Digestive Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium, Department of Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium.
Hans
H
Prenen
Digestive Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium, Department of Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium.
Erik
E
Van Cutsem
Digestive Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium, Department of Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium.
Sabine
S
Tejpar
Translational Cell and Tissue Research Unit, Department of Imaging and Pathologie, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Thomas
T
Tousseyn
Translational Cell and Tissue Research Unit, Department of Imaging and Pathologie, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium xavier.sagaert@uzleuven.be.
Xavier
X
Sagaert
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D003106:Colon / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C486626:FOXP1 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D012097:Repressor Proteins
FOXP1; cancer research; colorectal cancer; immunohistochemistry; prognosis; tumor markers