EXPRESSION OF PRO-CADHERIN 20 IN PATIENTS WITH LARYNGEAL CARCINOMA AND ITS CORRELATION WITH CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL FEATURES AND PROGNOSIS

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the expression of pre-cadherin 20 (PCDH20) in patients with laryngeal carcinoma and its correlation with clinicopathological features and prognoses. Methods: A total of 71 patients with laryngeal cancer diagnosed in our hospital from March 2007 to March 2012 were enrolled. The cancer tissues and adjacent non-tumour tissues were collected as the study group (n=71) and control group (n=35), respectively. Immunohistochemical staining and RT-PCR were used to detect the expression of PCDH20 protein and mRNA in laryngeal and non-tumour tissues. The relationship between PCDH20 expression and the clinicopathological features of laryngeal carcinoma was analysed. Results: The positive expression rate of PCDH20 protein in laryngeal carcinoma tissues was significantly lower than that of adjacent non-tumor tissues (P<0.05). The expression level of PCDH20 mRNA in laryngeal carcinoma tissues was also significantly lower than that of adjacent non-tumor tissues (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the expression of PCDH20 in laryngeal carcinoma tissues with varying age, gender, T stage, and lymphatic metastasis (P>0.05). However, for smoking degree, the clinical expression of PCDH20 in laryngeal carcinoma was significantly different in patients with different stages and degrees of differentiation (P<0.05). The survival time of patients with laryngeal carcinoma with different expression levels of PCDH20, T stage, and differentiation was significant (P<0.05). Patients with high PCDH20 expression had a significantly higher survival time (P<0.05). T stage and PCDH20 protein expression were independent risk factors for the prognosis of patients with laryngeal cancer. Conclusion: PCDH20 is low in laryngeal carcinoma patients. The expression of PCDH20 is correlated with the smoking, clinical stage, differentiation, and prognosis of laryngeal cancer patients.