[Expression of cancer stem cell marker USP22 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of cancer stem cell marker USP22 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) and clinical implications. METHODS: The expression of USP22 was detected by immunohistochemistry in LSCC tissues of 64 cases and squamous epithelium tissues beside carcinoma of 26 cases (control). The correlation of USP22 expression with various clinicopathologic factors was evaluated with the single factor analysis. RESULTS: The expression levels of USP22 in LSCC and control were 57.8% and 19.2% (P < 0.05). Clinicopathological analysis showed that USP22 expression level had a relationship with clinical stage, T stage, and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05), but not with gender, age, smoking and differentiation (P > 0.05). Survival analysis showed that patients with high USP22 expression had significantly poorer outcome compared with patients with low USP22 expression. The survival was related to clinical stage, T stage, and lymph node metastasis, but not with age, sex, and smoking (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The expression of USP22 is significantly increased in LSCC, which correlates with the malignant degree, invasion, metastasis and prognosis of LSCC. USP22 may be served as a new candidate molecular marker and therapeutic target of LSCC.