Objectives: This study aimed to explore the expression profile of the Forkhead box protein L2 gene (FOXL2) and to determine its prognostic value and associated epigenetic and genetic alterations in patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC).
Materials and methods: Data for a subset of patients with LSCC (N = 116) were extracted from the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma dataset of The Cancer Genome Atlas and analyzed in relation to FOXL2 expression and survival.
Results: Aberrant FOXL2 expression was an independent prognostic factor for progression-free survival (PFS) (hazard ratio (HR): 2.63, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.34-5.18) and overall survival (OS) (HR: 2.39, 95%CI: 1.28-4.46). Two gene-body CpG sites (cg10554436 and cg23637494) were moderately and positively correlated with FOXL2 expression. DNA amplification (+2/+1) was common (82/115, 71%) in LSCC, and FOXL2 expression was significantly upregulated in the high-amplification group (+2) compared with copy-neutral (0) cases.
Conclusion: Aberrant FOXL2 expression may be a novel prognostic biomarker for PFS and OS among patients with LSCC. FOXL2 upregulation may be related to gene-body hypermethylation and DNA amplification.
Keywords: FOXL2; Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma; copy number alteration; methylation; prognosis; survival.