Abstract: Objective To analyze the dysregulated genes among the differentially expressed genes in 41 nasopharyngeal biopsy
samples and identify their protective transcriptional factors. Methods The differentially expressed gene profiles were obtained
by analyzing both types I and II nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC_I and NPC_II, respectively) using EXCEL and
Bioinformatics tools. The transcriptional factors were further studied only when (1) the difference in the binding sites of the
differentially expressed genes between NPC_I and NPC_II groups was statistically significant, (2) the expressions of the
transcription factors were correlated with the gene expressions in the samples, and (3) the transcription factors affected at least
40% of the expression of the related genes. Results In NPC_I samples, 80 transcription factors were found to be up-regulated,
in which RUNX3, GATA3, NR3C1, NRF1, RXRA, SMAD7, TBP, and ZBTB6 were positive factors and HLF and MTF1 were
negative factors, involved in the regulation of the genes in T cell receptor signaling pathway. No eligible transcription factors
were found in association with down-regulated genes in NPC_I compared to NPC_II gene expression profiles. Conclusions
The over-expressed genes in NPC_I are mainly related to immune responses, and we found 8 positive factors and 2 negative
factors that regulate the genes in T cell receptor signaling pathway. The 10 transcription factors may serve as potential
therapeutic targets for NPC_I. We failed to identify any transcription factors associated with down-regulated genes in NPC_I
relative to NPC_II possibly as a result of multiple factors that affect the differential gene expressions in NPC_II including the
transcription factors, DNAphosphorylation and modification, chromosome variation and environmental factors.