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ATG9A overexpression is associated with disease recurrence and poor survival in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma

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Abstract

ATG9A is an integral membrane protein required for autophagosome formation and a membrane carrier in the autophagy pathways. The present study was designed to investigate the expression of ATG9A in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Clinically annotated tumor specimens from 90 patients with OSCC were subjected to immunohistochemistry using an antibody against ATG9A and immunoreactivity was scored using an immunoreactivity score (IRS). Scores were compared with clinical and pathologic data to assess association with outcome. Overexpression of ATG9A was defined as an IRS of ≥9 by receiver operating characteristics curve analysis and was identified in 25 (28 %) of 90 cases. ATG9A overexpression was associated with disease recurrence and overall survival (OS) in both univariate (p = 0.030 and 0.025, respectively) and multivariate (p = 0.026 and 0.038, respectively) Cox analyses. Kaplan–Meier plots also showed that patients with ATG9A overexpression had shorter 3-year OS (p = 0.017) and time to recurrence (p = 0.021) than those with low ATG9A expression. These results suggest that the presence of ATG9A in the cytoplasm of tumor cells may be an independent biomarker for disease recurrence and survival in patients with OSCC.

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We declare that we have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Jen-Yang Tang

  2. Department of Radiation Oncology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Jen-Yang Tang

  3. Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Edward Hsi & Nicholas Chung-Heng Hsu

  4. Department of Pathology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Number 100, Tzyou 1st Road, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Ya-Chun Huang & Chee-Yin Chai

  5. Division of Oral Pathology and Maxillofacial Radiology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Yuk-Kwan Chen

  6. School of Dentistry, College of Dental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Yuk-Kwan Chen

  7. Department of Pathology, St. Martin De Porres Hospital, Number 565, Section 2, Daya Road, Chiayi, Taiwan

    Pei-Yi Chu

  8. School of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan

    Pei-Yi Chu

  9. Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    Chee-Yin Chai

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  1. Jen-Yang Tang
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  2. Edward Hsi
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  3. Ya-Chun Huang
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  4. Nicholas Chung-Heng Hsu
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  5. Yuk-Kwan Chen
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  6. Pei-Yi Chu
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  7. Chee-Yin Chai
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Correspondence to Pei-Yi Chu or Chee-Yin Chai.

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Tang, JY., Hsi, E., Huang, YC. et al. ATG9A overexpression is associated with disease recurrence and poor survival in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. Virchows Arch 463, 737–742 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-013-1482-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-013-1482-5

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