High Expression of OR1F1 Protein as a Potential Prognostic Biomarker for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Background/aim: In patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), the identification of biomarkers that enable precise stratification of postoperative prognostic risk is crucial for developing personalized treatment strategies. Biomarker reproducibility across multiple independent cohorts is a key consideration in biomarker discovery.

Materials and methods: Transcriptome analysis was performed on primary tumor tissues from patients with ESCC who experienced recurrence in distant organs, thus identifying olfactory receptor family 1 subfamily F member 1 (OR1F1) as a candidate biomarker. OR1F1 protein expression and prognostic value were analyzed in two independent cohorts of patients with ESCC who underwent curative esophagectomy using immunohistochemical staining.

Results: In Cohort 1, high expression of OR1F1 protein in ESCC tissues was significantly correlated with reduced overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Multivariate analysis of OS after surgery identified high OR1F1 protein expression as an independent adverse prognostic factor. Likewise, high OR1F1 protein expression in tissues was strongly associated with reduced OS and DFS in Cohort 2. In both cohorts, patient prognosis could be stratified into three distinct risk levels based on the expression level of OR1F1 protein.

Conclusion: Tissue OR1F1 protein expression could serve as a valuable prognostic biomarker for patients with ESCC.

Keywords: Biomarkers; OR1F1; esophageal squamous cell carcinoma; prognosis.