Bioinformatic analysis of PFN2 dysregulation and its prognostic value in head and neck squamous carcinoma

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to identify PFN2 expression profile, its prognostic value and the mechanism of its dysregulation in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC). Materials & methods: Bioinformatic analysis was performed using data in the Gene Expression Omnibus Datasets, Human Protein Atlas and The Cancer Genome Atlas-HNSC. Results: PFN2 was upregulated in HNSC than in normal head and neck tissues. High PFN2 expression independently predicted poor overall survival in primary HNSC (hazard ratio: 1.548, 95% CI: 1.174–2.042; p = 0.002). Fourteen percent of HNSC cases had PFN2 amplification. PFN2 DNA methylation was negatively correlated with its mRNA expression (Pearson's r = -0.713). Conclusion: High PFN2 expression might serve as a valuable predictor for poor overall survival of HNSC. DNA amplification and hypomethylation might be two mechanisms of PFN2 dysregulation.