Abstract:
Objective: To investigate relationship between EZH2 expression and autophagy and its prognostic value in cervical cancer. Methods: 80 patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma, 30 patients with CIN II-III , 30 patients with CIN I, and 30 patients with chronic cervicitis were selected. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of EZH2, Autophagy Associated Proteins Beclin-1 and LC3 proteins in the cervical tissues of each group.The correlation between the three factors and the clinicopathological parameters of cervical squamous cell carcinoma was analyzed.Patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma were followed up, and the Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to analyze the relationship between the protein expression levels of EZH2, Beclin-1 and LC3 and the survival of patients. Results: the expression level of EZH2 protein in the > CIN II-III group > CIN I group > chronic cervicitis group (P < 0.05).Beclin-1, LC3 protein expression levels of the cervical squamous cell carcinoma group < CINII-III group < CIN I group < chronic cervicitis group (P < 0.05). The expression level of EZH2 protein was correlated with clinical stage, differentiation degree, muscular invasion depth and lymph node metastasis of cervical squamous cell carcinoma ( P < 0. 05), and was unrelated to the age of the patients (P >0.05).Beclin-1 and LC3 were correlated with tissue differentiation and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05), but not with age, FIGO stage and muscular invasion depth (P > 0. 05).Correlation analysis showed that the protein expression levels of EZH2 were negatively correlated with Beclin-1 and LC3.Beclin-1 was positively correlated with LC3 protein expression level (r = -0.296, P =0.008).R = -0.327, P =0.003;R = 0.391, P =0.000).Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that EZH2, Beclin-1 and LC3 could be independent risk factors for the prognosis of cervical squamous cell carcinoma patients. Conclusion: The high expression of EZH2 in cervical squamous cell carcinoma tissues may be involved in the occurrence and development of cervical squamous cell carcinoma through inhibiting autophagy, thus affecting the prognosis of cervical cancer patients. In-depth study of the mechanism is expected to be an important way to guide clinical treatment and prognosis evaluation.