Expression and clinical significance of autophagy-related gene ULK1 in vulvar squamous cell carcinoma tissue

Objective 　To investigate the expression of autophagy-related gene ULK1 in vulvar squamous cell carcinoma, and explore the relationship between the expression of ULK1 and the clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of vulvar squamous cell carcinoma. Methods 　Immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of ULK1 in 48 specimens of vulvar squamous cell carcinoma tissue and 20 specimens of normal vulva tissue. The correlations of ULK1 expression and the clinical characteristics of vulvar squamous cell carcinoma were statistically analyzed, and the patients were followed up for the study of the correlation between ULK1 expression and patients' prognosis. Results 　The expression rate of ULK1 was significantly higher in normal vulva tissues (80.0%) compared with that in vulvar squamous cell carcinoma tissues (54.2%, P=0.046). The expression of ULK1 was obviously correlated with FIGO stage (P=0.017), tumor invasion (P=0.028), and lymph node metastasis (P=0.017). The survival rate was significantly higher in patients with ULK1 positive expression than in patients with ULK1 negative expression (P=0.010). Cox regression analysis showed that the ULK1 expression was an independent prognostic factor associated with the patients' survival time (P=0.041). Conclusion 　The ULK1 expression is down-regulated in vulvar squamous cell carcinoma tissue, and closely associated with FIGO stage, depth of tumor invasion, and lymph node metastasis. ULK1, as a novel molecular marker, may predict the prognosis of patients with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2016.03.08