ObjectiveTo investigate the expression and clinical significance of cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding protein 3 (CPEB3) in human tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) tissue.

MethodsThe differential expression of CPEB3 and its correlation with clinical features in head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma (HNSC) tissue were analyzed online by UALCAN, the expression of CPEB3 in TSCC and adjacent cancer tissues was examined by immunohistochemistry, and the correlation between the expression level of CPEB3 and pathological characteristics of TSCC patients was analyzed.

ResultsThe results of bioinformatics analysis showed that the expression level of CPEB3 in HNSC tissue was significantly lower than that in normal tissue (P < 0.01). Compared with normal tissue, the expression level of CPEB3 decreased in HNSC patients with different stages and degrees of differentiation (P < 0.05). The 3-year survival rate of HNSC patients with low CPEB3 expression was lower than that of patients with high CPEB3 expression (P < 0.05). Compared with adjacent cancer tissue, CPEB3 was low-expressed in TSCC tissue (P < 0.01). The expression of CPEB3 was not significantly correlated with the gender and age of TSCC patients (P>0.05), but was correlated with TNM stage, pathological grade, and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05 to P < 0.01).

ConclusionsCPEB3 is low expressed in TSCC and correlated with TNM stage, degree of differentiation, and lymph node metastasis. CPEB3 may be a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of TSCC.