Expression profile and clinical significance of IL-17B/IL-17RB in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Interleukin-17B (IL-17B) and its receptor IL-17 receptor B (IL-17RB) are implicated in several cancers. However, data on their expression profile and clinical significance in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) remain unavailable. This study aimed to explore the expression profile of IL-17B/IL-17RB in LSCC and to evaluate their predictive and prognostic value in LSCC patients. Tumor and serum samples from 30 LCSS patients and 30 controls were analyzed. Flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and immunohistochemistry (IHC) assessed IL-17RB expression on T helper type 2 (Th2) cells and monocytes, and IL-17B/IL-17RB in serum and tissues. Target gene expression levels at the mRNA and protein levels and their correlation with overall survival (OS) were further analyzed using the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA; 519 head and neck squamous cell carcinoma [HNSCC] and 44 normal tissues) and the Human Protein Atlas (HPA; 492 RNA samples and 183 HNSCC and normal samples). Result showed weak IL-17RB expression on Th2 cells and monocytes and negative immunoreactivity of IL-17B/IL-17RB in LSCC tissues, consistent with GEPIA and HPA databases. No differences in IL-17B/IL-17RB levels in serum were found in LSCC patients compared with healthy controls. Neither IL-17B nor IL-17RB was correlated with OS. This study provides the first comprehensive evaluation of IL-17B/IL-17RB in LSCC, combining patient samples with bioinformatics datasets. Findings indicate that IL-17B and IL-17RB are not prognostic markers in LSCC, and their potential as serum markers in clinical practice is limited. Further studies are warranted to validate these negative findings and explore alternative roles of IL-17B/IL-17RB in LSCC.