Complement Receptor 1 Expression in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells and the Association with Clinicopathological Features And Prognosis of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Purpose: Complement receptor 1 (CR1) is induced by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and may be a potentialbiomarker of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). We conducted the present study to evaluate the association ofCR1 expression with clinicopathological features and prognosis of NPC.
Methods: We enrolled 145 NPC patientsand 110 controls. Expression levels of CR1 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were detected usingquantitative real-time PCR and associations with clinicopathological features and prognosis were examined.
Results: CR1 levels in the NPC group [3.54 (3.34, 3.79)] were slightly higher than those in the controls [3.33(3.20, 3.47)] (P<0.001). Increased CR1 expression was associated with histology classification (type III vs. typeII, P=0.002), advanced clinical stage (P=0.003), high T stage (P=0.017), and poor overall survival (HR, 4.89; 95%CI, 1.23-19.42; P=0.024). However, there were no statistically significant differences in CR1 expression amongN or M stages.
Conclusion: These findings indicate that CR1 expression in PBMCs may be a new biomarker forprognosis of NPC and a potential therapeutic target.