A five-microRNA signature predicts survival and disease control of patients with head and neck cancer negative for HPV infection

Abstract

Purpose: Human papillomavirus (HPV)–negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is associated with unfavorable prognosis, while independent prognostic markers remain to be defined. Experimental Design: We retrospectively performed miRNA expression profiling. Patients were operated for locally advanced HPV-negative HNSCC and had received radiochemotherapy in eight different hospitals (DKTK-ROG; n ¼ 85). Selection fulfilled comparable demographic, treatment, and follow-up characteristics. Findings were validated in an independent single-center patient sample (LMU-KKG; n ¼ 77). A prognostic miRNA signature was developed for freedom from recurrence and tested for other endpoints. Recursive-partitioning analysis was performed on the miRNA signature, tumor and nodal stage, and extracapsular nodal spread. Technical validation used qRT-PCR. An miRNA–mRNA target network was generated and analyzed. Results: For DKTK-ROG and LMU-KKG patients, the median follow-up was 5.1 and 5.3 years, and the 5-year freedom from recurrence rate was 63.5% and 75.3%, respectively. A five-miRNA signature (hsa-let-7g-3p, hsa-miR-6508-5p, hsa-miR-210-5p, hsa-miR-4306, and hsa-miR-7161-3p) predicted freedom from recurrence in DKTK-ROG [hazard ratio (HR) 4.42; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.989.88, P < 0.001], which was confirmed in LMU-KKG (HR 4.24; 95% CI, 1.4012.81, P ¼ 0.005). The signature also predicted overall survival (HR 3.03; 95% CI, 1.506.12, P ¼ 0.001), recurrence-free survival (HR 3.16; 95% CI, 1.656.04, P < 0.001), and disease-specific survival (HR 5.12; 95% CI, 1.8813.92, P < 0.001), all confirmed in LMU-KKG data. Adjustment for relevant covariates maintained the miRNA signature predicting all endpoints. Recursive-partitioning analysis of both samples combined classified patients into low (n ¼ 17), low-intermediate (n ¼ 80), high-intermediate (n ¼ 48), or high risk (n ¼ 17) for recurrence (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The five-miRNA signature is a strong and independent prognostic factor for disease recurrence and survival of patients with HPV-negative HNSCC.