Independent prognostic value of HIF-1α expression in radiofrequency ablation of lung cancer

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is widely used in the treatment of lung cancer. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha) is a crucial transcription factor regulating oxygen homeostasis that is involved in tumor cell metastasis. The present study investigated the impact of HIF-la expression and other factors, such as postoperative blood CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio, on the prognosis of patients with lung cancer who had received RFA treatment. A total of 80 patients with lung cancer were recruited between January 2011 and October 2016 at The Shenzhen People's Hospital. Lung cancer was confirmed following pathological or histological examination. All patients underwent RFA treatment. Patients were followed up for 6-66 months. HIF-1 alpha expression in lung cancer tissues was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Multivariate survival analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazards model. The results demonstrated that HIF-1 alpha level was low in 36 patients and overexpressed in 44 patients with lung cancer. Kaplan-Meier (KM) curve analysis demonstrated that the overall survival time of patients with high HIF-1 alpha expression was significantly shorter compared with patients with low HIF-1 alpha expression (P<0.05). Furthermore, the results from the KM model and log-rank test revealed that age, Union for International Cancer Control stage, primary or metastatic cancer, chemotherapy, postoperative blood CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status and HIF-1 alpha expression had significant effects on overall survival of patients with lung cancer. The results from Cox analysis demonstrated that high HIF-1 alpha expression, advanced age, clinical staging and chemotherapy were independent risk factors for the prognosis of lung cancer following RFA treatment, and that high HIF-1 alpha expression was associated with the increased risk (5.91-fold) of mortality. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that HIF-1 alpha expression was increased in lung cancer tissues and was associated with the prognosis of patients with lung cancer who were treated with RFA. These findings suggest that HIF-1 alpha expression may be considered as a marker for evaluating the prognosis of these patients.