The Prognosis Value of PSPC1 Expression in Nasopharyngeal Cancer

Abstract

Background

Paraspeckle component 1 (PSPC1) is overexpressed in various cancer and correlated with poor survival in the patients. However, little is known about its expression and role in the progression of nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPC). The purpose of this study is to examine PSPC1 expression in NPC and explore its role in clinical prognosis of radiation therapy.

Methods

The association of PSPC1 expression with clinicopathological features of 109 NPC patients was examined using partial correlation analysis. Cancer tissues were obtained prior to clinical treatment. All cases were diagnosed and pathologically confirmed to be poorly differentiated or undifferentiated NPC without distant metastasis. The patients were then treated with radiation and followed-up. Survival analysis was performed.

Results

Partial correlation analysis revealed that the PSPC1 expression in NPC was correlated with N classification, recurrence, prognosis and radiosensitivity in NPC patients, but not with the gender, age, pathohistological pattern, clinical stage, and T classification. The overexpression of PSPC1 was detected in 64 samples (58.72%). Kaplan–Meier survival analysis revealed that the overall survival (OS) was longer in NPC patients with PSPC1 low expression than that in those with PSPC1 high expression. Moreover, patients with the overexpression of PSPC1 had a low progression-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival rate, compared to those who had a low expression of PSPC1. Although not statistically significant, patients with high expression of PSPC1 had a lower locoregional recurrence-free survival rate than those with low expression, and the curves between the two groups was well separated.

Conclusion

PSPC1 overexpression was associated with poor prognosis for NPC, which might be a novel useful biomarker to predict the response of NPC to radiation therapy and its clinical outcome.

Keywords:

• nasopharyngeal carcinoma
• paraspeckle component 1
• PSPC1
• clinical prognosis
• radiation
• overexpression

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant no. 81974482), Natural Science Foundation of Fujian province (Grant no. 2019J01191, 2018J01732 and 2018J01275), Fujian Provincial Health Technology Project (Grant no. 2019-CXB-8). Authors thank Dr. Shimin Zhang from Joint Pathology center, Silver Spring, USA for his scientific correction and Ms. Daisy E. Johnson for her English editing.

Abbreviations

PSPC1, Paraspeckle component 1; NPC, Nasopharyngeal carcinomas; OS, Overall survival; DMFS, Distant metastasis-free survival; PFS, Progression-free survival; LRRFS, Locoregional recurrence-free survival; IMRT, Intensity-modulated radiotherapy; MRI, Magnetic resonance imaging; ECT, Emission computed tomography; PET, Positron emission tomography; AJCC, American joint committee on cancer; IHC, Immunohistochemical; Low PSPC1, low level of PSPC1 expression; High PSPC1, high level of PSPC1 expression; EDTA, Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; HRP, Horseradish Peroxidase; CTV, Clinical tumor volume; ESC, Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma; GTV, Gross tumor volumes; PTV, Planning tumor volume; Normal, Nasopharyngeal epithelial tissues; RS-NPC, Radiosensitive NPC; RR-NPC, Radioresistant NPC; RNA, Ribonucleic acid; DNA, Deoxyribonucleic acid.

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.