Co-expression of Hif1alpha and CAIX is associated with poor prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma patients

This study investigates the prognostic impact of the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha (Hif1alpha) and carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) detected by immunohistochemistry in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Statistical analysis of immunohistochemical results with clinical parameters including survival outcomes was performed for 80 OSCC patients. Patients with a low expression of both proteins survived on average 54.8 months, whereas those with an increased expression of Hif1alpha in their tumors combined with a low expression of CAIX survived on average only 37.6 months (P = 0.026). In multivariate Cox's regression hazard analysis, again patients with a low expression of Hif1alpha/CAIX had the best prognosis, whereas patients with increased Hif1alpha and low CAIX expression carried a 4.97-fold increased risk of tumor-related death (P = 0.042). A co-detection of low Hif1alpha/CAIX expression is significantly correlated with a better prognosis for OSCC patients, which may have implications for therapy options for these patients.