The Prognosis Value of PSPC1 Expression in Nasopharyngeal Cancer

Figures & data

Figure 1 Scoring criteria for PSPC1 expression in IHC.

Notes: Pictures of IHC processed at identical conditions for PSPC1 expression were taken and scored. (A) – (negative). (B) + (weak). (C) ++ (moderate). (D) +++ (strong). Images were taken under light microscope (200×). Scale bar=50 μm.

Figure 2 Percentage distribution of PSPC1 IHC score in NPC tissues versus normal tissues.

Notes: The PSPC1 staining intensity was scored and the distribution of IHC score was expressed as the percentage in NPC and normal tissues. Chi-square test was used to compare IHC scores in NPC tissues versus normal tissues. ***P <0.001.

Table 1 Associations of PSPC1 Expression with Pathological Characteristics in NPC Patients

Parameters	Category	High PSPC1 (n = 64)	Low PSPC1 (n = 45)	X^2	P
Gender	Male	56	36	1.129	0.299
	Female	8	9
Age (years)	≤ 50	39	33	1.811	0.220
	> 50	25	12
Pathohistological pattern	WHO II	3	1	0.454	0.500
	WHO III	61	44
Clinical stage	I	4	1	2.535	0.469
	II	5	3
	III	31	18
	IV	24	23
T classification	T1–T2	24	15	0.200	0.689
	T3–T4	40	30
N classification	N0	8	1	3.684	0.038*
	N1–N3	56	44
Recurrence	No	56	45	6.071	0.014*
	Yes	8	0
Prognosis	Death	12	2	4.830	0.040*
	Survival	52	43
Radiosensitivity	CR or PR	55	45	6.898	0.010*
	SD or PD	9	0

Note: *P < 0.05.

Abbreviations: WHO, Word Health Organization; Low PSPC1, low level for PSPC1 expression; High PSPC1, high level for PSPC1 expression.

Figure 3 Differences of PSPC1 expression among the normal tissues, radiosensitive NPC tissues and radioresistant NPC tissues.

Notes: Representative pictures of Normal (normal nasopharyngeal epithelial tissues). RS-NPC (radiosensitive NPC tissues) and RR-NPC (radioresistant NPC tissues) were taken after IHC under a light microscope. The staining intensity was compared. The image amplification was 200×. Scale bar=50 μm.

Table 2 Correlation Between PSPC1 Expression and 3-Year Outcomes in NPC Patients

Rate (%)	High PSPC1	Low PSPC1	X^2	P
	(n = 64)	(n = 45)
OS	84.3	95.6	4.494	0.034*
PFS	71.9	93.3	6.365	0.012*
LRRFS	88.6	97.3	2.974	0.085
DMFS	80.5	95.6	4.746	0.029*

Note: *P < 0.05.

Abbreviations: High PSPC1, high level for PSPC1 expression; Low PSPC1, low level for PSPC1 expression; OS, overall survival; PFS, progression-free survival; LRRFS, locoregional recurrence-free survival; DMFS, distant metastasis-free survival.

Figure 4 High PSPC1 expression predicts inferior outcomes in NPC patients.

Notes: Survival data were analyzed and plotted using the Kaplan–Meier method. The NPC patients were classified into Low PSPC1 or High PSPC1 according to IHC score. (A) Overall Survival (OS). (B) Progression-free survival (PFS). (C) Locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRRFS). (D) Distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS).

Table 3 Univariate Log Rank Analyses of Prognostic Parameters of NPC

Parameters	Category	No. of Cases	OS		PFS		LRRFS		DMFS
			Events	P	Events	P	Events	P	Events	P
PSPC1 expression	High	64	12	0.034*	19	0.012*	7	0.085	12	0.029*
	Low	45	2		4		1		2
Gender	Male	92	12	0.866	21	0.325	7	0.789	13	0.366
	Female	17	2		2		1		1
Age (years)	≤ 50	72	7	0.156	12	0.117	3	0.072	8	0.397
	> 50	37	7		11		5		6
Pathohistological pattern	WHO^# II	4	0	0.442	1	0.817	0	0.561	1	0.450
	WHO III	105	14		22		8		13
Clinical stage	I	5	0	0.547	0	0.246	0	0.614	0	0.480
	II	8	0		0		0		0
	III	49	7		10		5		6
	IV	47	7		13		3		8
T classification	T1–T2	39	4	0.557	6	0.289	2	0.503	4	0.549
	T3–T4	70	10		17		6		10
N classification	N0	9	0	0.236	1	0.442	1	0.691	0	0.235
	N1–N3	100	14		22		7		14

Notes: *P < 0.05. Events: numbers of cases in OS, PFS, LRRFS or DMFS.

Abbreviations: WHO, Word Health Organization.

Table 4 Multivariate Survival Analyses of Prognostic Parameters of NPC

Parameters	OS			PFS			LRRFS			DMFS
	HR	95% CI	P	HR	95% CI	P	HR	95% CI	P	HR	95% CI	P
PSPC1 expression (high vs low)	5.357	1.154–24.872	0.032*	4.135	1.367–12.509	0.012*	4.646	0.540–40.003	0.162	5.695	1.231–26.340	0.026*
Gender (male vs female)	1.433	0.303–6.770	0.650	0.606	0.128–2.856	0.526	0.973	0.106–8.891	0.980	0.662	0.084–5.232	0.696
Age (years) (≤ 50 vs > 50)	1.638	0.560–4.790	0.368	1.499	0.647–3.470	0.345	2.890	0.661–12.638	0.159	1.197	0.408–3.515	0.743
Clinical stage (I vs II vs III vs IV)	1.884	0.543–6.534	0.318	2.610	0.988–6.897	0.053	1.293	0.327–5.125	0.713	2.736	0.701–10.675	0.147
T classification (T1–T2 vs T3–T4)	0.745	0.149–3.733	0.720	0.618	0.167–2.291	0.471	1.245	0.130–11.888	0.849	0.533	0.099–2.870	0.464
N classification (N0 vs N1–N3)	2.698	0.960–7.581	0.983	1.215	0.136–10.899	0.862	0.596	0.053–6.713	0.675	5.075	1.581–16.297	0.983

Note: *P < 0.05.

Abbreviations: HR, hazard ratio; 95% CI, 95% confidence interval.