Low expression of HSP27 and HSP70 predicts poor prognosis in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE

Molecular alterations drive the pathogenesis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), yet reliable prognostic biomarkers remain elusive. Heat shock proteins (HSPs), which mediate cellular stress responses, are implicated in cancer progression and treatment resistance. This study aimed to evaluate whether HSP27 and HSP70 expression correlate with clinicopathological features and survival outcomes in LSCC. Specifically, we assessed their potential as prognostic biomarkers in this malignancy.

METHODS

Immunohistochemistry was performed on 158 LSCC tissue samples from 40 patients and compared to 30 normal laryngeal tissue samples. Expression levels of HSP27 and HSP70 were correlated with clinicopathological variables. Validation was conducted using transcriptomic and survival data from 112 LSCC cases in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to assess survival.

RESULTS

HSP27 was significantly overexpressed in LSCC tissues compared to controls and was associated with advanced tumor stage, nodal metastasis, alcohol abstinence, and older age. HSP70 expression correlated with higher tumor grade and female sex but did not differ significantly between cancerous and noncancerous tissues. In the TCGA cohort, low expression of HSP27 and HSP70 was significantly associated with worse overall survival. Low HSP27 expression emerged as an independent predictor of shorter survival (hazard ratio 2.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.11-4.67; p = 0.024).

CONCLUSION

HSP27 and HSP70 show potential as prognostic biomarkers in LSCC, with high expression linked to favorable outcomes. These findings warrant further investigation into their mechanistic roles in tumor progression, therapy resistance, and their potential utility as therapeutic targets.