ObjectiveTo explore the expression level of voltage-gated sodium channel β4 subunit(SCN4B/β4) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissue, and analyze its clinical significance.

MethodsThe expression levels of SCN4B/β4 in 90 nasopharyngeal biopsy specimens from nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients and 20 archived paraffin-embedded normal nasopharyngeal mucosal tissues(mainly chronic inflammation of nasopharyngeal mucosa) were detected using the Elivision^TM Plus immunohistochemical method.The relationship between the positive expression of SCN4B/β4 and clinicopathological features in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma were analyzed.

ResultsThe expression rate of SCN4B/β4 protein in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissue was lower than that in normal nasopharyngeal mucosa(χ²=19.31, P < 0.01).The differences of the expression levels of SCN4B/β4 protein in different T stage, N stage, M stage and clinical stage were statistically significant(P < 0.05 to P < 0.01), the expression rates of SCN4B/β4 protein in stageT₁-T₂, M₀, Ⅰ-Ⅱwere higher than that in stage T₃-T₄, M₁ and Ⅲ-Ⅳ, and the expression rate of SCN4B/β4 protein decreased with the increasing of N stage.The survival rate of patients with high SCN4B/β4 expression was 85.2%, the survival rate of patients with low SCN4B/β4 expression was 60.3%, and the 5-year overall survival rate in patients with high expression of SCN4B/β4 was higher than that in patients with low SCN4B/β4 expression(χ²=5.35, P < 0.05).

ConclusionsThe expression level of SCN4B/β4 protein in nasopharyngeal carcinoma is negatively correlated with the lymph node and distant metastasis.The survival rate in patients with high SCN4B/β4 expression is higher.