CPEB4 and IRF4 expression in peripheral mononuclear cells are potential prognostic factors for advanced lung cancer

• Published in: Journal of the Formosan Medical Association 2017-02, Vol.116 (2), p.114-122
• Main Authors: Wu, Yi-Ying, Hwang, Yi-Ting, Perng, Wann-Cherng, Chian, Chih-Feng, Ho, Ching-Liang, Lee, Shih-Chun, Chang, Hung, Terng, Harn-Jing, Chao, Tsu-Yi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Biomarkers, Tumor - genetics; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - diagnosis; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - drug therapy; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - mortality; Drug Therapy; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic - drug effects; Humans; Interferon Regulatory Factors - genetics; Interferon Regulatory Factors - metabolism; Internal Medicine; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - metabolism; lung neoplasms; Male; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; peripheral blood mononuclear cell; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; RNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; RNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; survival; Survival Analysis; Taiwan
• ISSN: 0929-6646; 1876-0821
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jfma.2016.01.009

Background/Purpose Lung cancer is a heterogeneous disease with varied outcomes. Molecular markers are eagerly investigated to predict a patient's treatment response or outcome. Previous studies used frozen biopsy tissues to identify crucial genes as prognostic markers. We explored the prognostic value of peripheral blood (PB) molecular signatures in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) fractions from patients with advanced NSCLC were applied for RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis, and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the expression profiling of eight genes: DUSP6 , MMD , CPEB4 , RNF4 , STAT2 , NF1 , IRF4 , and ZNF264 . Proportional hazard (PH) models were constructed to evaluate the association of the eight expressing genes and multiple clinical factors [e.g., sex, smoking status, and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI)] with overall survival. Results One hundred and forty-one patients with advanced NSCLC were enrolled. They included 109 (77.30%) patients with adenocarcinoma, 12 (8.51%) patients with squamous cell carcinoma, and 20 (14.18%) patients with other pathological lung cancer types. A PH model containing two significant survival-associated genes, CPEB4 and IRF4 , could help in predicting the overall survival of patients with advanced stage NSCLC [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.48, p