Deletion of C9orf53 promotes the growth of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and is associated with poor prognosis of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the fifth most common carcinoma worldwide, and accounts for ~600,000 new cases every year. The information on the molecular carcinogenesis of HNSCC is very limited. In the present study, the role of C9orf53 in HNSCC was investigated. The levels of C9orf53 were assayed by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The levels of C9orf53 in cells were overexpressed by overexpression plasmid and inhibited by small-interfering RNA. Cell proliferation was assayed by MTT, and cell apoptosis was assessed by FACS analysis. It was demonstrated that C9orf53 deletion was associated with a decreased survival of patients. The level of C9orf53 in HNSCC tissues was lower compared with the matched normal tissues adjacent to tumors. A lower expression of C9orf53 promoted cell proliferation, and the overexpression of C9orf53 induced cell apoptosis. In conclusion, a low level of C9orf53 in HNSCC promoted the growth of HNSCC cells, which might be associated with the low survival rate of patients with HNSCC.