Association between SOX2 and OCT4 expression and the chemoradiation therapeutic response in undifferentiated non-keratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma

  • Lisnawati Rachmadi Department of Anatomical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
  • Kusmardi Department of Anatomical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
  • Monik Ediana Miranda Department of Anatomical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
  • Maria Mayella Vianney Department of Anatomical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1908-0472
DOI: https://doi.org/10.13181/mji.oa.203647
Keywords: nasopharyngeal carcinoma, OCT4, SOX2
Abstract viewed: 856 times
PDF downloaded: 583 times
HTML downloaded: 79 times
EPUB downloaded: 291 times

Abstract

BACKGROUND Self-renewal ability of cancer stem cells (CSS) is one of the possible causes for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) to relapse and metastasize. SOX2 and OCT4 are markers for expression of the embryonic stem cells and crucial for the progression of various malignancies. This study was aimed to analyze the association between SOX2 and OCT4 expression and chemoradiation therapeutic response in undifferentiated non-keratinizing NPC.

METHODS This cross-sectional study used archival data from Department of Anatomical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital from January 2014 to December 2016. The outcomes were classified into good-response (complete and partial response) and poor-response groups (progressive and stable disease) based on response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST). SOX2 and OCT4 immunohistochemistry staining was performed using the initial specimen (before chemoradiation therapy) and positively expressing tumor cells were counted. Staining intensity was graded as: strong, moderate, weak, and negative. Strong and moderate staining was considered positive expression.

RESULTS 33 males and 8 females were included; 48% were ≥50 years old. Most of the patients had stage IV (n = 35) and several patients had stage II (n = 3) and III (n = 3). More cells expressed OCT4 in the good-response group than the poor-response group (61.3% versus 37.0%, p = 0.009). Meanwhile, there were less cells expressing SOX2 in the good-response group than the poor-response group (36.3% versus 61.1%, p = 0.097).

CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that OCT4 is a potential predictive marker for therapeutic response in patients with NPC.

References

  1. Adham M, Kurniawan AN, Muhtadi AI, Roezin A, Hermani B, Gondhowiardjo S, et al. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Indonesia: epidemiology, incidence, signs, and symptoms at presentation. Chin J Cancer. 2012;31(4):185-96. https://doi.org/10.5732/cjc.011.10328

  2. Bell D, Petersson BF, El-Mofty SK, Gillison M, Lewis JS, Nadal A, et al. Tumors of the nasopharynx. In: Chan JKC, El-Naggar AK, Grandis JR, Takata T, Slootweg PJ. WHO classification of head and neck tumours. 4th ed. Lyon: IARC; 2017. p. 63-76.

  3. Luo W, Li S, Peng B, Ye Y, Deng X, Yao K. Embryonic stem cells markers SOX2, OCT4 and Nanog expression and their correlations with epithelial-mesenchymal transition in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. PLoS One. 2013;8(2):e56324. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0056324

  4. Eisenhauer EA, Therasse P, Bogaerts J, Schwartz LH, Sargent D, Ford R, et al. New response evaluation criteria in solid tumours: revised recist guideline (version 1.1). Eur J Cancer. 2009;45(2):228-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2008.10.026

  5. Ge N, Lin HX, Xiao XS, Guo L, Xu HM, Wang X, et al. Prognostic significance of Oct4 and Sox2 expression in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. J Transl Med. 2010;8:94. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5876-8-94

  6. Fu TY, Hsieh IC, Cheng JT, Tsai MH, Hou YY, Lee JH, et al. Association of OCT4, SOX2, and NANOG expression with oral squamous cell carcinoma progression. J Oral Pathol Med. 2016;45(2):89-95. https://doi.org/10.1111/jop.12335

  7. Singh A, Srivastava AN, Akhtar S, Siddiqui MH, Singh P, Kumar V. Correlation of CD133 and Oct-4 expression with clinicopathological and demographic parameters in oral squamous cell carcinoma patients. Natl J Maxillofac Surg. 2018;9(1):8-13. https://doi.org/10.4103/njms.NJMS_60_17

  8. Petersen JK, Jensen P, Sørensen MD, Kristensen BW. Expression and prognostic value of Oct-4 in astrocytic brain tumors. PLoS One. 2016;11(12):e0169129. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0169129

  9. Reers S, Pfannerstill AC, Maushagen R, Pries R, Wollenberg B. Stem cell profiling in head and neck cancer reveals an Oct-4 expressing subpopulation with properties of chemoresistance. Oral Oncol. 2014;50(3):155-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oraloncology.2013.12.006

  10. Dong Z, Liu G, Huang B, Sun J, Wu D. Prognostic significance of SOX2 in head and neck cancer: a meta-analysis. Int J Clin Exp Med. 2014;7(12):5010-20.

  11. Bayo P, Jou A, Stenzinger A, Shao C, Gross M, Jensen A, et al. Loss of SOX2 expression induces cell motility via vimentin upregulation and is an unfavorable risk factor for survival of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Mol Oncol. 2015;9(8):1704-19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molonc.2015.05.006

  12. Tam WL, Ng HH. Sox2: masterminding the root of cancer. Cancer Cell. 2014;26(1):3-5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccr.2014.06.024

  13. Rizzino A, Wuebben EL. Sox2/Oct4: a delicately balanced partnership in pluripotent stem cells and embryogenesis. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2016;1859(6):780-91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagrm.2016.03.006

  14. Qiao B, He B, Cai J, Yang W. The expression profile of Oct4 and Sox2 in the carcinogenesis of oral mucosa. Int J Clin Exp Pathol. 2014;7(1):28-37.

  15. Stewart CL. Oct-4, scene 1: the drama of mouse development. Nat Genet. 2000;24(4):328-30. https://doi.org/10.1038/74129

  16. Huch M, Rawlins EL. Cancer: tumours build their niche. Nature. 2017;545(7654):292-3. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature22494

Published
2020-12-29
How to Cite
1.
Rachmadi L, Kusmardi, Miranda ME, Vianney MM. Association between SOX2 and OCT4 expression and the chemoradiation therapeutic response in undifferentiated non-keratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Med J Indones [Internet]. 2020Dec.29 [cited 2024Apr.26];29(4):354-8. Available from: http://mji.ui.ac.id/journal/index.php/mji/article/view/3647
Issue
Vol. 29 No. 4 (2020): December
Section
Basic Medical Research

Copyright (c) 2020 Lisnawati Rachmadi, Kusmardi Kusmardi, Monik Ediana, Maria Mayella Vianney

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with Medical Journal of Indonesia agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant Medical Journal of Indonesia right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License that allows others to remix, adapt, build upon the work non-commercially with an acknowledgment of the work’s authorship and initial publication in Medical Journal of Indonesia.
  2. Authors are permitted to copy and redistribute the journal's published version of the work non-commercially (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in Medical Journal of Indonesia.