Use of NRP1, a novel biomarker, along with VEGF-C, VEGFR-3, CCR7 and SEMA3E, to predict lymph node metastasis in squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue.
The positive expression of NRP1 was higher in cancer tissues at an advanced International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage, and in cancer tissues with lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis compared with that in cancer tissues without lymph node or distant metastasis (P<0.05).
NRP1 overexpression in oesophageal SCC may contribute to local tumour invasiveness but the presence of the mNRP1 subtype correlates with less lymph node metastasis and better prognostic stage, suggesting that the balance between modified and unmodified NRP1 might be important for determining invasion potential.
Our results indicate that NRP1 may regulate the EMT process in OSCC cell lines through NF-κB activation, and that higher NRP1 expression levels are associated with lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis in OSCC patients.