β-Arrestin-1 expression and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in laryngeal carcinoma

• Published in: The International journal of biological markers 2019-03, Vol.34 (1), p.33-40
• Main Authors: Marioni, Gino, Nicolè, Lorenzo, Cappellesso, Rocco, Marchese-Ragona, Rosario, Fasanaro, Elena, Di Carlo, Roberto, La Torre, Fabio Biagio, Nardello, Ennio, Sanavia, Tiziana, Ottaviano, Giancarlo, Fassina, Ambrogio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Antigens, CD - metabolism; Arrestin; beta-Arrestin 1 - metabolism; Biomarkers, Tumor - metabolism; Cadherins - metabolism; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - metabolism; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - pathology; Cigarette smoking; E-cadherin; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Laryngeal cancer; Laryngeal carcinoma; Laryngeal Neoplasms - metabolism; Laryngeal Neoplasms - pathology; Male; Medical prognosis; Mesenchyme; Middle Aged; Nicotine; Patients; Prognosis; Squamous cell carcinoma; Statistical analysis; Survival Rate; Tumor cells; Zinc Finger E-box Binding Homeobox 2 - metabolism; Zinc Finger E-box-Binding Homeobox 1 - metabolism
• ISSN: 1724-6008; 0393-6155; 1724-6008
• DOI: 10.1177/1724600818813621

Aim: The novel primary end-point of the present study was to ascertain β-arrestin-1 expression in a cohort of consecutive patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) with information available on their cigarette-smoking habits. A secondary end-point was to conduct a preliminary clinical and pathological investigation into the possible role of β-arrestin-1 in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), identified by testing for E-cadherin, Zeb1, and Zeb2 expression, in the setting of LSCC. Methods: The expression of β-arrestin-1, E-cadherin, zeb1, and zeb2 was ascertained in 20 consecutive LSCCs. Results: Statistical analysis showed no significant associations between β-arrestin-1 and EMT (based on the expression of E-cadherin, Zeb1, and Zeb2). The combined effect of nicotine and β-arrestin-1 was significantly associated with a shorter disease-free survival (P=0.01) in our series of LSCC. This latter result was also confirmed in an independent, publicly available LSCC cohort (P=0.047). Conclusions: Further investigations on larger series (ideally in prospective settings) are needed before we can consider closer follow-up protocols and/or more aggressive treatments for patients with LSCC and a combination of nicotine exposure and β-arrestin-1 positivity in tumor cells at the time of their diagnosis. Further studies on how β-arrestin functions in cancer via different signaling pathways might reveal potential targets for the treatment of even advanced laryngeal malignancies.