High expression of FBLIM1 as a potential biomarker for early detection of HNSCC tumorigenesis and predicts poor survival.

Abnormal expression of filamin-binding LIM protein 1 (FBLIM1) has been associated with various human cancers, yet its role in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains inadequately explored. This study aimed to evaluate the expression profile and prognostic significance of FBLIM1 in HNSCC. Tumor and adjacent non-tumor tissues were collected from HNSCC patients to measure FBLIM1 mRNA expression levels using quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). In parallel, FBLIM1 expression patterns and correlations with clinical features were analysed using The Cancer Genome Atlas-Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (TCGA-HNSCC) dataset. Kaplan-Meier survival curve was generated to evaluate the effects of FBLIM1 on overall survival. In silico protein-protein interaction networks and functional enrichment analyses were conducted to elucidate the molecular pathways associated with FBLIM1. The expression of FBLIM1 in HNSCC tissues was significantly higher than that in the adjacent normal tissues. Increased FBLIM1 expression was correlated with early clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, poor differentiation, HPV negativity and TP53 mutations. High levels of FBLIM1 were negatively associated with the survival time in HNSCC patients. These data suggest that FBLIM1 overexpression is a crucial factor in HNSCC tumorigenesis and may be a promising prognostic biomarker. Further mechanistic research and functional studies are needed to assess the therapeutic potential of suppressing FBLIM1 in HNSCC.