Psoriasin expression is associated with survival in patients with human papillomavirus-positive base of tongue squamous cell carcinoma

Mark Zupancic; Linnea Haeggblom; David Landin; Linda Marklund; Tina Dalianis; Anders Näsman

doi:10.3892/ol.2021.12538

Psoriasin expression is associated with survival in patients with human papillomavirus-positive base of tongue squamous cell carcinoma

Oncol Lett. 2021 Apr;21(4):277. doi: 10.3892/ol.2021.12538. Epub 2021 Feb 10.

Authors

Mark Zupancic¹, Linnea Haeggblom¹, David Landin², Linda Marklund², Tina Dalianis¹, Anders Näsman^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 64 Stockholm, Sweden.
² Division of Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology - CLINTEC, Karolinska Institutet, 171 64 Stockholm, Sweden.
³ Department of Clinical Pathology, Karolinska University Hospital, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.

Abstract

Patients with human papillomavirus-positive (HPV+) base of tongue squamous cell carcinomas (BOTSCC) have an improved survival compared with patients with HPV-negative BOTSCC and it has been suggested that treatment should be tailored. Before individualized treatment can be introduced, additional prognostic markers are required. A prognostic role of psoriasin has previously been demonstrated outside BOTSCC. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine psoriasin in BOTSCC, with focus on HPV+ BOTSCC, in relation to prognosis. A total of 72 BOTSCC samples were stained for psoriasin by immunohistochemistry, and the association between expression and clinical outcomes was analyzed. Patients with low psoriasin expression exhibited significantly improved overall survival (OS; P=0.001) and disease-free survival (DFS; P=0.007), which also was observed in patients with HPV+ BOTSCC (OS, P<0.001; DFS, P=0.02). Furthermore, psoriasin was a significant prognostic factor in univariable and multivariable analyses. In conclusion, psoriasin could be used as a prognostic marker in HPV+ BOTSCC.

Keywords: human papillomavirus; oropharyngeal cancer; prognosis; psoriasin; s100A7.

Grants and funding

The present study was supported by Åke Wibergs Stiftelse, Jeanssons Stiftelser, Tore Nilsons Stiftelse för Medicinsk Forskning, Stiftelsen Tornspiran, Magnus Bergvalls Stiftelse, Stockholms Läns Landsting (SLL; grant no. FOUI954801), Karolinska Institutet, The Swedish Cancer Foundation (grant nos. 20 0704 Pj and 20 0778 Pj) and Cancer och Allergifonden (grant nos. 194 and 10127). The funding bodies had no role in the study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation of data or in writing the manuscript.