Prognostic Significance of Beclin-1 Expression in Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Beclin-1 plays a critical role in the regulation of autophagy, apoptosis, differentiation and the development and progression of cancer. The aim of the present investigation was to analyze the Beclin-1 protein expression and to assess its prognostic significance in tissue of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). Beclin-1 protein expression in 82 primary laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and 40 paracarcinoma non-tumor tissue samples was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and correlated with clinicopathological parameters and patients' outcome. The expression of Beclin-1 in tumor tissues was significantly lower than that in non-tumor tissues (P = 0.035). Reduced Beclin-1 expression was significantly correlated with lymph node metastases (P = 0.021). Kaplan-Meier survival estimates showed a significant correlation between Beclin-1 expression and patient's survival rate (log-rank P < 0.05). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards model analysis confirmed that lymph node metastases (P = 0.048) and Beclin-1 expression (P = 0.029) were statistically significant, independent prognostic factors for LSCC. Our findings suggested that decreased Beclin-1 expression and lymph node metastases, as examined by immunohistochemistry, are both independent biomarker for poor prognosis of patients with LSCC.

Expression and clinical significance of Beclin-1 in gastric cancer tissues of various clinical stages

“…A number of allosteric and catalytic inhibitors of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), phosphoinositide-3-kinase-AKT, tyrosine kinase signaling and activators of energy sensing pathways may induce autophagy in cells (27). Therefore, it was hypothesized that autophagic cell death may be involved in the mechanism of action of certain anticancer drugs.…”

The Protective Role of Autophagy in Human Vocal Fold Fibroblasts under Cigarette Smoke Extract Exposure: A New Insight into the Study of Reinke's Edema

“…Recently, the role of autophagy in cancer development was investigated, and defects in autophagy activity were associated with genome damage and instability, ultimately facilitating tumorigenesis [37]. Huang et al [38] found that the expression of Beclin-1 (a key autophagy regulator) was lower in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma than in paracarcinoma non-tumor tissue. Moreover, Beclin-1 and LC3 were both downregulated in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, and their aberrant expression correlated with poor prognosis [39].…”

High expression of Beclin-1 predicts favorable prognosis for patients with colorectal cancer

“…Recent studies have evaluated the prognostic significance of Beclin-1 in gastric cancer [11], laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma [12], ovarian carcinoma [13] and confirmed that Beclin-1 was indeed to be a useful prognostic biomarker.…”