Clinical significance of erythropoietin receptor expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma

BMC Cancer. 2012 May 28:12:194. doi: 10.1186/1471-2407-12-194.

Abstract

Background: Hypoxic tumors are refractory to radiation and chemotherapy. High expression of biomarkers related to hypoxia in head and neck cancer is associated with a poorer prognosis. The present study aimed to evaluate the clinicopathological significance of erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Methods: The study included 256 patients who underwent primary surgical resection between October 1996 and August 2005 for treatment of OSCC without previous radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Clinicopathological information including gender, age, T classification, N classification, and TNM stage was obtained from clinical records and pathology reports. The mRNA and protein expression levels of EPOR in OSCC specimens were evaluated by Q-RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry assays.

Results: We found that EPOR were overexpressed in OSCC tissues. The study included 17 women and 239 men with an average age of 50.9 years (range, 26-87 years). The mean follow-up period was 67 months (range, 2-171 months). High EPOR expression was significantly correlated with advanced T classification (p < 0.001), advanced TNM stage (p < 0.001), and positive N classification (p = 0.001). Furthermore, the univariate analysis revealed that patients with high tumor EPOR expression had a lower 5-year overall survival rate (p = 0.0011) and 5-year disease-specific survival rate (p = 0.0017) than patients who had low tumor levels of EPOR. However, the multivariate analysis using Cox's regression model revealed that only the T and N classifications were independent prognostic factors for the 5-year overall survival and 5-year disease-specific survival rates.

Conclusions: High EPOR expression in OSCC is associated with an aggressive tumor behavior and poorer prognosis in the univariate analysis among patients with OSCC. Thus, EPOR expression may serve as a treatment target for OSCC in the future.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / genetics*
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / mortality
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / pathology*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mouth Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Mouth Neoplasms / mortality
  • Mouth Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Prognosis
  • Receptors, Erythropoietin / genetics*
  • Receptors, Erythropoietin / metabolism
  • Risk Factors

Substances

  • Receptors, Erythropoietin