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High expression of MLANA in the plasma of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma as a predictor of tumor progression
Author(s) -
RodriguesJunior Dorival Mendes,
Tan Soon Sim,
Lim Sai Kiang,
Souza Viana Luciano,
Carvalho Andre Lopes,
Vettore Andre Luiz,
Iyer N. Gopalakrishna
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
head and neck
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1097-0347
pISSN - 1043-3074
DOI - 10.1002/hed.25510
Subject(s) - medicine , head and neck squamous cell carcinoma , oncology , biomarker , head and neck cancer , context (archaeology) , tumor progression , basal cell , cancer research , cancer , pathology , biology , paleontology , biochemistry
Background There is a paucity of plasma‐based biomarkers that predict outcome in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) treated with chemoradiation therapy (CRT). Here, we evaluate the prognostic potential of plasma Melanoma‐Antigen Recognized by T‐cells 1 (MLANA) in this setting. Methods MLANA expression in HNSCC lines were evaluated by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, whereas plasma levels were quantified using ELISA in 48 patients with locally advanced HNSCC undergoing a phase 2 trial with CRT. Results MLANA is expressed at variable levels in a panel of HNSCC lines. In plasma, levels were elevated in patients with tumor relapse compared to those without ( P < .004); 73.9% of the patients expressing high plasma MLANA levels progressed with recurrent disease ( P = .020). Multivariate analysis showed that plasma MLANA levels and tumor resectability were independent prognostic factors for progression free survival. Conclusion Plasma MLANA expression appears to be an effective noninvasive biomarker for outcomes in patients treated with CRT, and could potentially guide therapeutic decisions in this context.