TY  - EJOU
AU  - Wu, Bo 
AU  - Xiong, Huacai 
AU  - Wang, Yong 
AU  - Zhao, Shankun 
AU  - Lu, Hongsheng 
AU  - Hu, Wei 

TI  - Icotinib Enhanced Radiosensitization of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma by Inhibiting the Expression of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor
T2  - Oncologie

PY  - 2022
VL  - 24
IS  - 3
SN  - 1765-2839

AB  - Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is frequently overexpressed in multiple malignancies. Icotinib (IH), a
new EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, enhances radiosensitivity in various types of cancer, but its effect on nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains unclear. Total 115 NPC tissue sections and 30 nasopharyngitis tissue sections were enrolled. The correlation of EGFR expression and clinicopathologic features of NPC was analyzed.
Survival analysis was calculated by using univariate and multivariate regression analysis. A radioresistant NPC
cell line, CNE-2R, was established with a gradient irradiation schedule. Cell viability, colony formation and EGFR
expression of CNE-2/2R cells were examined. Significant higher expression of EGFR was observed in NPC tissues
than chronic nasopharyngitis lesions. EGFR expression was significantly correlated with both tumor stage
(<i>P</i> < 0.001) and tumor-node-metastasis stage of NPC (<i>P</i> = 0.006). EGFR expression was an independent prognostic factor of disease-free survival (<i>P</i> = 0.047) and the overall survival of NPC (<i>P</i> = 0.016). Cell viability was higher
in CNE-2R than CNE-2 on days 1, 2, 4, and 6 after radiation of 4 Gy. The colony number of CNE-2R was significantly higher than that of CNE-2 (<i>P</i> < 0.05), while IH enhanced the radiosensitizing effect of CNE-2R with
lower survival fraction (<i>P</i> < 0.05). EGFR mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly higher in
CNE-2R cells compared to CNE-2 cells, but significantly decreased after IH treatment (all <i>P</i> < 0.05). In conclusion, high EGFR expression is a poor prognostic factor for NPC patients. IH enhances the radiosensitivity of
CNE-2R cells and reduce EGFR expression.
KW  - Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; epidermal growth factor receptor; icotinib; radioresistance

DO  - 10.32604/oncologie.2022.023025