GROα expression and its prognostic implications in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

The growth-regulated oncogene α (GROα) , which is also designated as CXC chemokine ligand 1 (CXCL1), was first identified as an autocrine growth factor in human malignant melanoma. It is involved in tumor development and invasion, and is highly expressed in various human cancers. However, little is known about the association between GROα expression and the clinical attributes of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). One-step quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemical staining of tissue microarrays were employed to evaluate the relationship between GROα expression and LSCC clinicopathological attributes. GROα mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly greater in LSCC than in non-cancerous tumor-adjacent tissues. GROα protein expression in LSCC was also significantly associated with TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, and histopathological grade. Kaplan-Meier and Cox multi-factor analyses suggested that increased GROα expression and positive lymph node metastasis were significantly associated with the poor survival of LSCC patients. These data indicate that GROα may be a novel prognostic marker of LSCC.

GROα,LSCC,qPCR,immunohistochemistry, prognosis.