The combined use of EFS, GPX2, and SPRR1A expression could distinguish favorable from poor clinical outcome among epithelial-like head and neck carcinoma subtypes.

BACKGROUND:We aimed at identifying molecular markers predictive of clinical outcome in patients with head and neck cancer based on the expression profile of cells showing epithelial-like (EL) or mesenchymal-like (ML) phenotypes. MATERIALS AND METHODS:We analyzed the association between EL and ML cells and migration, drug resistance, or tumor growth. The differential gene expression profile between cell types was used to build a model to stratify patients according to survival. RESULTS:EL cells were sensitive to cisplatin and cetuximab, showed low migration, and generated squamous differentiated tumors in mouse. A differential 93-gene expression signature between ML and EL cells was used to build a three-gene (EFS, GPX2, and SPRR1A) survival model by analyzing the RNA-seq data of the TCGA-HNSC project. Its prognostic value was confirmed in two independent cohorts. CONCLUSION:EFS, GPX2, and SPRR1A are prognostic markers able to distinguish clinical outcome among subtypes sharing an EL phenotype.

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