Serum hypoxia-inducible factor-2: A candidate prognostic biomarker for laryngeal cancer.

Abstract

To determine the serum hypoxia-inducible factor-1, -2 and -3 (HIF-1, -2 and -3) levels in patients with laryngeal neoplasm, and to investigate their role in differential diagnosis, prediction of tumour characteristic and extension, and prognosis and survival. Prospective, cohort study at a tertiary referral centre. The study was conducted in a tertiary medical centre. Patients with benign, premalignant and malignant laryngeal neoplasms were included. Sixty-four patients with a laryngeal neoplasm were enrolled. Serum HIF-1, -2 and -3 levels were measured from blood samples that were drawn before treatment, using ELISA. A statistically significant difference between benign (HIF-1, -2, -3:4046,1pg/mL; 2581,5pg/mL; 1321,0pg/mL), premalignant (HIF-1, -2, -3:3630,3pg/mL; 3229,7pg/mL; 2549,8pg/mL) and malignant (HIF-1, -2, -3:3576,7pg/mL; 2595,8pg/mL; 1106,3pg/mL) laryngeal neoplasms was not detected when serum HIF-1, -2 and -3 levels were compared. However, high serum HIF-2 level adversely affected survival and locoregional control and had more than 7-fold increase in hazard ratio. Moreover, serum HIF-2 was an independent prognostic factor for 2-year overall, disease-free, distant metastasis-free survival and locoregional control. This is the first clinical study in which the diagnostic, predictive and prognostic roles of hypoxia-related biomolecules were examined in laryngeal neoplasms. Hypoxia-inducible factor-2 is a prognostic factor in larynx cancer irrespective of treatment modality.