Journal Article

Immunoreactivity of LMO7 and other molecular markers as potential prognostic factors in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Oda, Husam, Öfverman, Charlotte, Stefansson, Kristina, Lindquist, David, Israelsson, Pernilla

2024

Overview

Background Despite the better prognosis associated with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), some patients experience relapse and succumb to the disease; thus, there is a need for biomarkers identifying these patients for intensified treatment. Leucine-rich repeats and immunoglobulin-like domain (LRIG) protein 1 is a negative regulator of receptor tyrosine kinase signaling and a positive prognostic factor in OPSCC. Studies indicate that LRIG1 interacts with the LIM domain 7 protein (LMO7), a stabilizer of adherence junctions. Its role in OPSCC has not been studied before. Methods A total of 145 patients diagnosed with OPSCC were enrolled. Immunohistochemical LMO7 expression and staining intensity were evaluated in the tumors and correlated with known clinical and pathological prognostic factors, such as HPV status and LRIG1, CD44, Ki67, and p53 expression. Results Our results show that high LMO7 expression is associated with significantly longer overall survival (OS) ( p  = 0.044). LMO7 was a positive prognostic factor for OS in univariate analysis (HR 0.515, 95% CI: 0.267–0.994,  p  = 0.048) but not in multivariate analysis. The LMO7 expression correlated with LRIG1 expression ( p  = 0.048), consistent with previous findings. Interestingly, strong LRIG1 staining intensity was an independent negative prognostic factor in the HPV-driven group of tumors (HR 2.847, 95% Cl: 1.036–7.825, p  = 0.043). Conclusions We show for the first time that high LMO7 expression is a positive prognostic factor in OPSCC, and we propose that LMO7 should be further explored as a biomarker. In contrast to previous reports, LRIG1 expression was shown to be an independent negative prognostic factor in HPV-driven OPSCC.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Adult / Aged / Aged, 80 and over / Analysis / Antigens / Biomarkers / Biomarkers, Tumor - analysis / Biomarkers, Tumor - metabolism / Bone morphogenetic proteins / Cancer / Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - metabolism / Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - pathology / Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - virology / Care and treatment / CD44 / CD44 antigen / Cloning / Complications and side effects / Dentistry / Diagnosis / Disease / Female / Genetic testing / Head & neck cancer / Head and neck cancer / HPV / Human papillomavirus / Humans / Hyaluronan Receptors - analysis / Hyaluronan Receptors - metabolism / Immunohistochemistry / Immunoreactivity / Ki-67 Antigen - metabolism / Ki67 / Kinases / LIM Domain Proteins - metabolism / LMO7 / LRIG1 / Male / Medical prognosis / Medicine / Membrane Glycoproteins - metabolism / Middle Aged / Multivariate analysis / OPSCC / Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery / Oropharyngeal Neoplasms - metabolism / Oropharyngeal Neoplasms - mortality / Oropharyngeal Neoplasms - pathology / Oropharyngeal Neoplasms - virology / Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma / Oropharyngolaryngeal carcinoma / p53 / p53 Protein / Papillomavirus infections / Papillomavirus Infections - complications / Patients / Prognosis / Protein-tyrosine kinase receptors / Proteins / Relapse / Squamous cell carcinoma / Survival Rate / Throat cancer / Tonsillar cancer / Transcription Factors - metabolism / Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 - metabolism / Tumors