Unveiling the interplay of YAP1-driven pathways and miR-340-5P expression: insights into nasopharyngeal cancer metastasis

L. Rachmadi, F. Hasan, M. Linggodigdo, Y. Dwina, R. Cahyanur, M. Adham

Department of Anatomical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Dr. Cipo Mangunkusumo General Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia. lisnawatidrsppa@gmail.com

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• Oncology

OBJECTIVE: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a prevalent malignancy in Southeast Asia and Southern China, with a notable incidence in Indonesia. This study aimed to characterize the expression and correlation of Yes-associated protein (YAP1) and miR-340-5p in NPC metastasis tissues.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study utilized clinical samples from primary tumors of NPC patients to investigate the expression of YAP1 and miR-340-5p. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Head and Neck Cancer dataset was analyzed to assess YAP1 and miR-340-5p expression in broader head and neck cancer samples. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) and functional enrichment analyses were performed to understand the putative regulatory mechanisms of YAP1 and miR-340-5p head and neck cancer. YAP1 mRNA and miR-340-5p level expression were measured by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and statistical analyses were performed to compare the expression of these markers in NPC samples.

RESULTS: Analysis of clinical samples revealed lower expression levels of YAP1 and miR-340-5p in metastasis NPC cases compared to non-metastatic cases (p<0.0001). YAP1 and miR-340-5p revealed a negative correlation in metastasis and non-metastasis samples but were statistically insignificant. Additionally, both genes showed significantly lower expression in stage IVB compared to stage II, III, and IVA NPC tissues (p<0.0001). The TCGA dataset showed consistent decreases in YAP1 and miR-340-5p expression in head and neck cancer tumors as opposed to normal tissues. Functional enrichment and PPI analysis suggested the involvement of the Hippo signaling pathway and other cancer-related pathways in NPC progression.

CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the under-expressed YAP1 and miR-340-5p in metastasis tumor cases, suggesting their potential role as a tumor suppressor in NPC.

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