MAP2K6 is associated with radiation resistance and adverse prognosis for locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients

Figures & data

Table 1 General characteristics of study patients

Parameters	Radiation sensitivity, n (%)		χ^2	P-value
	Radiation-resistant group	Radiation-sensitive group
Age (years)			0.001	0.971
<45	7 (13.5)	45 (86.5)
≥45	9 (13.2)	59 (86.8)
Gender			1.254	0.263
Female	9 (10.3)	43 (82.7)
Male	7 (17.3)	61 (89.7)
Radiotherapy dose			0.371	0.543
<73.27	9 (15.3)	50 (84.7)
≥73.27	7 (11.5)	54 (88.5)
AJCC stage			1.254	0.263
III	9 (17.3)	43 (82.7)
IVa	7 (10.3)	61 (89.7)
Chemotherapy			0.246	0.620
Yes	14 (12.8)	95 (87.2)
No	2 (18.2)	9 (81.8)
Targeted therapy			0.526	0.428
Yes	1 (7.1)	13 (92.9)
No	15 (14.2)	91 (85.8)
Sensitization therapy			0.420	0.517
Yes	10 (15.2)	56 (84.8)
No	6 (11.1)	48 (88.9)
MAP2K6			5.817	0.016
Low	2 (4.2)	46 (95.8)
High	14 (19.4)	58 (80.6)

Abbreviation: AJCC, American Joint Committee on Cancer.

Table 2 Correlation between MAP2K6 expression and clinical pathological features in patients with NPC

Parameters	MAP2K6 expression, n (%)		χ^2	P-value
	Low expression	High expression
Age (years)			0.684	0.408
<45	23 (44.2)	29 (55.8)
≥45	25 (36.8)	43 (63.2)
Gender			2.494	0.114
Female	25 (66.2)	27 (51.9)
Male	23 (33.8)	45 (48.1)
Radiotherapy dose			1.801	0.179
<73.27	20 (33.9)	39 (66.1)
≥73.27	28 (45.9)	33 (54.1)
AJCC stage			2.042	0.153
III	17 (32.7)	35 (67.3)
IVa	31 (45.6)	37 (54.4)
Chemotherapy			1.505	0.220
Yes	46 (42.2)	63 (57.8)
No	2 (18.2)	9 (81.8)
Targeted therapy			0.054	0.816
Yes	1 (7.1)	13 (92.9)
No	15 (14.2)	91 (85.8)
Sensitization therapy			0.275	0.600
Yes	25 (37.9)	41 (62.1)
No	23 (42.6)	31 (57.4)
Therapy			5.817	0.016
Sensitivity	46 (95.8)	58 (80.6)
Resistance	2 (4.2)	14 (19.4)

Abbreviations: AJCC, American Joint Committee on Cancer; NPC, nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Figure 1 Expression of MAP2K6 in radiation-resistant (upper) and radiation sensitive (lower) NPC tissues – radiation resistant: (A) 60% and (B) 0%; radiation sensitive: (C) 5% and (D) 10%.

Abbreviation: NPC, nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Table 3 Univariate Cox regression analyses of clinical prognosis in patients with NPC

Factors	β	SE	Wald χ^2	HR	95% CI	P-value
Age (≥45 vs 45 years)	−0.250	0.439	0.325	0.78	0.33–1.84	0.569
Gender (male vs female)	0.295	0.438	0.453	1.34	0.57–3.17	0.501
Radiotherapy dose (≥73.27 vs <73.27)	−0.525	0.451	1.356	0.59	0.24–1.43	0.244
AJCC stage (IVa vs III)	−0.529	0.438	1.459	0.59	0.25–1.39	0.227
Chemotherapy (no vs yes)	0.919	1.026	0.801	2.51	0.33–18.72	0.371
Targeted therapy (no vs yes)	−0.203	0.745	0.074	0.82	0.19–3.52	0.785
Sensitization therapy (no vs yes)	−0.194	0.446	0.189	0.82	0.34–1.98	0.664
MAP2K6 (high vs low)	1.240	0.553	5.020	3.46	1.17–10.22	0.025

Abbreviations: AJCC, American Joint Committee on Cancer; NPC, nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Table 4 Multivariate Cox regression analyses of clinical prognosis in patients with NPC

Factors	β	SE	Wald χ^2	HR	95% CI	P-value
Age (≥45 vs 45 years)	−0.226	0.444	0.358	0.77	0.32–1.83	0.550
Gender (male vs female)	0.222	0.426	0.272	1.25	0.54–2.88	0.602
Radiotherapy dose (≥73.27 vs <73.27)	−0.655	0.458	2.043	0.52	0.21–1.28	0.519
AJCC stage (IVa vs III)	−0.217	0.446	0.237	0.81	0.34–1.93	0.626
Chemotherapy (no vs yes)	1.189	1.032	1.327	3.28	0.43–24.84	0.249
Targeted therapy (no vs yes)	0.118	0.643	0.034	1.13	0.32–3.97	0.854
Sensitization therapy (no vs yes)	0.006	0.455	0.000	1.01	0.41–2.45	0.990
MAP2K6 (high vs low)	1.224	0.564	4.714	3.40	1.13–10.26	0.030

Abbreviations: AJCC, American Joint Committee on Cancer; NPC, nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Figure 2 The significant difference in the PFS rate was observed in the patients with low MAP2K6 expression and high MAP2K6 expression.

Abbreviation: PFS, progression-free survival.