[The expression and clinical significance of BATF2 in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma]

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the expression and clinical significance of BATF2 in the oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC).

Methods: Expression of BATF2 mRNA and protein in 16 paired OTSCC tissues and adjacent non-tumor mucosa were examined using quantitative PCR, western blotting analysis and immunohistochemistry assays, and the relation between BATF2 expression and clinical pathologic factor and prognosis was analyzed.

Results: In 16 paired tissues, expression of BATF2 mRNA in 13 OTSCC tissues and expression of BATF2 protein in 14 OTSCC tissues were significantly lower than that in adjacent non-tumor mucosa. In 202 paraffin-embedded OTSCC samples, BATF2 was not expressed in 20 cases (9.9%), low expressed in 104 cases (51.5%) and highly expressed in 78 (38.6%). BATF2 expression level was significantly correlated with histological differentiation (P = 0.002). Patients with low BATF2 expression had significantly poorer overall survival and disease-free survival than those with high BATF2 expression (P < 0.001).

Conclusions: BATF2 was low expressed in OTSCC and related to tumor differentiation and prognosis and may serve as a prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target for this disease.