The association between the expression level of nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 and the survival rate of head and neck cancer patients after treatment.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) () exhibits diverse and complicated functions in cancer progression. Despite reports suggesting both tumor-suppressive and oncogenic effects in various cancers, its specific role in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between expression levels and survival outcomes in HNSCC patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Paired tissue samples of tumor and non-cancerous matching tissues (NCMT) from 92 HNSCC patients were collected. expression was analyzed using RT-qPCR. Clinical characteristics, treatment received, and survival rates of the patients were assessed to determine the correlation with expression and explore its association with alcohol, betel quid, and cigarette use. Additionally, we examined the effect of arecoline on expression in normal human oral keratinocytes (NHOK) and fibroblasts (NHOF).

RESULTS

The study revealed a significant downregulation of expression in oral cancer tissues compared to NCMT. Meanwhile, arecoline increased expression in NHOK and NHOF cells. However, patients with downregulated expression exhibited higher overall survival rates, particularly in those who did not receive chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

CONCLUSION

expression levels are associated with survival outcomes in HNSCC patients, with upregulated expression indicating a worse prognosis, suggesting this lncRNA might contribute to cancer aggressiveness, especially in the absence of active treatment. These findings indicate may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker in HNSCC, but further research is required to elucidate its role in cancer progression and its potential as a therapeutic target.