Prognostic Value of Telomeric Zinc Finger-Associated Protein Expression in Adenocarcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Lung

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Telomeric zinc finger-associated protein (TZAP) is a telomere regulation protein, previously known as ZBTB48. It binds preferentially to elongated telomeres, competing with telomeric repeat factors 1 and 2. TZAP expression may be associated with carcinogenesis, however; this study has not yet been performed in lung cancer. In this study, we examined the clinicopathological and prognostic values of TZAP expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and Methods: Data were collected from The Cancer Genome Atlas. The clinical and prognostic values of TZAP for NSCLC were examined in adenocarcinoma (AD) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Results: TZAP expression significantly increased in NSCLC tissues compared with normal tissues. In AD, TZAP expression was lower in patients with higher T stage (p = 0.005), and was associated with lymph node stage in SCC (p = 0.005). Survival analysis showed shorter disease-free survival in AD patients with lower TZAP expression (p = 0.047). TZAP expression did not have other clinical or prognostic value for AD and SCC. Conclusions: TZAP expression is a potential prognostic marker for NSCLC, especially in patients with AD.

Clinical Characteristics of TZAP (ZBTB48) in Hepatocellular Carcinomas from Tissue, Cell Line, and TCGA

“…Additionally, there was a limited amount of detail about TZAP expression in each cancer. In lung adenocarcinoma, lower TZAP expression was associated with a higher T stage, inducing a poorer prognosis [23]. Additionally, a shorter overall survival was found in cervical cancer with a lower TZAP expression, especially at the N1 stage [22].…”

“…Compared to normal tissue, TZAP mRNA expression was increased in HCC tissue; however, it was not significant. We previously studied TZAP expression in other cancers, such as colorectal cancer [19], cervical cancer [22], and lung cancers [23], using TCGA data or patient tissues. In these cancers, TZAP expression levels were slightly increased compared to normal tissues.…”

Different Role of TRF1 and TRF2 Expression in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers

“…13 Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer, accounting for 85% of all cases. 14 Many causative factors for lung cancer have been identified, including active smoking, secondhand smoke, occupational agents, radiation, and environmental pollutants. 15 They may influence telomere regulation in human disease especially in NSCLC.…”

“…Previous studies have suggested that deregulation of telomere length has the potential to serve as a prognostic marker in patients with NSCLC. 14,16 Therefore, we analyzed, for the first time, the clinical value of telomere regulatory genes in NSCLC.…”