Tissue expression, serum and salivary levels of vascular endothelial growth factor in patients with HNSCC.

INTRODUCTION: Vascular endothelial growth factor is thought to be an important angiogenic factor involved in tumor growth, progression, and metastasis. OBJECTIVE: The present study evaluated the relation between tissue expression, serum and salivary levels of vascular endothelial growth factor in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, and their correlation with clinicopathologic features. METHODS: Samples were collected from 30 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas and 24 healthy volunteers. Immunohistochemical analysis was used for tissue expression and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure serum and salivary levels. RESULTS: No vascular endothelial growth factor staining was observed in normal tissues, whereas vascular endothelial growth factor expression was seen in 6 patients (20%). Mean serum level of VEGF was 83.7±104.47 in patients and 50.04±32.94 in controls. Mean salivary level of vascular endothelial growth factor was 174.41±115.07 in patients and 149.58±101.88 in controls. No significant difference was found by Mann-Whitney test between controls and patients (p=0.411, p=0.944, respectively). No correlation was found between vascular endothelial growth factor tissue expression and its serum and salivary level. CONCLUSION: Overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor was found in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients, suggesting its role in the pathogenesis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, but no relation was found between tissue expression, serum levels, and salivary levels of this marker.

Tissue expression, serum and salivary levels of vascular endothelial growth factor in patients with HNSCC / Expressão tecidual, soro e níveis salivares de VEGF em pacientes com carcinoma de células escamosas de cabeça e pescoço

Introduction: Vascular endothelial growth factor is thought to be an important angiogenic factor involved in tumor growth, progression, and metastasis. Objective: The present study evaluated the relation between tissue expression, serum and salivary levels of vascular endothelial growth factor in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, and their correlation with clinicopathologic features. Methods: Samples were collected from 30 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas and 24 healthy volunteers. Immunohistochemical analysis was used for tissue expression and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure serum and salivary levels. Results: No vascular endothelial growth factor staining was observed in normal tissues, whereas vascular endothelial growth factor expression was seen in 6 patients (20%). Mean serum level of VEGF was 83.7 ± 104.47 in patients and 50.04 ± 32.94 in controls. Mean salivary level of vascular endothelial growth factor was 174.41 ± 115.07 in patients and 149.58 ± 101.88 in controls. No significant difference was found by Mann-Whitney test between controls and patients (p = 0.411, p = 0.944, respectively). No correlation was found between vascular endothelial growth factor tissue expression and its serum and salivary level. Conclusion: Overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor was found in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients, suggesting its role in the pathogenesis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, but no relation was found between tissue expression, serum levels, and salivary levels of this marker. .

Introdução: Acredita-se que o fator de crescimento vascular endotelial (FCEV) seja um importante fator angiogênico envolvido no crescimento, na progressão e na metástase tumoral. Objetivo: O presente estudo avalia a relacão entre a expressão tecidual e os níveis séricos e salivares do FCEV em carcinomas de células escamosas da cabeca e pescoco (CCECPs) e sua correlacão com aspectos clinicopatológicos. Método: Foram coletadas amostras de 30 pacientes com CCECP e de 24 voluntários saudáveis. Utilizamos análise imuno-histoquímica para a expressão tecidual e ELISA para determinação dos níveis séricos e salivares. Resultados: Não foi observada coloração para FCEV nos tecidos normais, enquanto que foi observada expressão de FCEV em seis pacientes (20%). O nível sérico médio de FCEV foi 83,7 ± 104,47 em pacientes e 50,04 ± 32,94 em controles. O nível salivar médio de FCEV foi de 174,41 ± 115,07 em pacientes e 149,58 ± 101,88 em controles. Não foi observada diferenca significativa pelo teste de Mann-Whitney entre controles e pacientes (respectivamente, p = 0,411, p = 0,944). Não foi observada relacão entre a expressão tecidual de FCEV e seus níveis séricos e salivares. Conclusão: A expressão elevada de FCEV foi observada em pacientes com CCECP, e isso sugere seu papel na patogênese de CCECP, mas não foi observada relacão entre a expressão tecidual e os níveis séricos e salivares desse marcador. .

Tissue expression, serum and salivary levels of IL-10 in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Head and neck SCC is a common cancer related to various factors. IL-10, a pleiotropic cytokine produced by macrophages, T-helper-2 cells, and B lymphocytes, is thought to play a potential pathogenetic or therapeutic role in a number of human conditions, such as inflammation, autoimmunity and cancer. The present study was designed to evaluate the relation between tissue expression, serum and salivary levels of IL-10 in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) and their correlation with clinicopathologic features. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Samples were collected from 30 patients with HNSCCs and 24 healthy volunteers. IHC analysis was used to examine the tissue expression and ELISA was employed to measure serum and salivary levels. RESULTS: Our study showed tissue expression of IL-10 to be significantily higher in patients (P: 0.001), but there was no relation between tissue expression , serum and salivary levels of the marker (P>0.05). Also except for a positive correlation between tissue expression of IL-10 and stage (P: 0.044), there was no relation between this marker and clinicopathologic features. There was no correlation between serum and salivary levels in either patients or controls. CONCLUSIONS: It seems there is no correlation between level of IL-10 in serum and saliva and this marker in saliva and serum does not reflect tissue expression.

HER2/neu expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients is not significantly elevated.

BACKGROUND: HER2/neu, a member of EGFR family, is over expressed in some tumors .The purpose of this study was to determine the salivary level and tissue expression of HER2/neu in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and any correlation with clinicopathologic parameters. METHODS: An enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to evaluate the salivary level and immunohistochemistry (IHC) to assess tissue expression of HER2/neu in 28 patients with HNSCC and 25 healthy controls. RESULTS: The salivary levels of HER2/neu in HNSCC patients was not significantly higher than in the healthy controls (p>0.005). There was no apparent correlation in salivary HER2/neu level with clinicopathological features such as age, sex, grade, tumor size and nodal status. All HNSCC specimens were positive (membranous or/and cytoplasmic) for HER2/ neu, except one sample. Only one HNSCC specimen was stained in cytoplasm purely. All control specimens were membranous and cytoplasmic positive for HER2/neu. There was a significant difference between cytoplasmic staining in case and control groups (p-value<0.05). CONCLUSION: In our cases, no overexpression of HER2/neu was observed. Thus, our findings suggested that the use of Her-2 as a salivary marker of HNSCC cannot be recommended.

Evaluation of Tissue Expression and Salivary Levels of HER2/neu in Patients with Head and Neck Squamous cell Carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: HER2/neu, a member of the epidermal growth factor receptor family, has been shown to be over-expressed in some tumors. The purpose of this study was to determine the salivary levels and tissue expression of HER2/neu in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and their correlation with clinicopathologic parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were used to evaluate the salivary levels of HER2/neu and immunohistochemistry was used to measure tissue expression of HER2/neu in 28 patients with HNSCC and 25 healthy control subjects. RESULTS: The salivary levels of HER2/neu in patients with HNSCC were not significantly higher compared to healthy control subjects. There was no apparent correlation between salivary HER2/neu levels and clinicopathological features such as age, sex, tumor grade, tumor size and nodal status. All HNSCC specimens were positive (membranous or/and cytoplasmic) for HER2/neu, except one sample. Only one HNSCC specimen showed staining purely in the tumor-cell cytoplasm. All control specimens were also positive for both membranous and cytoplasmic HER2/neu but there was a significant difference between the level of cytoplasmic staining in the HNSCC specimens and in the control specimens (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: In our study, no overexpression of HER2/neu was observed. Thus, identification of HER2/neu levels plays no role in differentiating between normal and squamous cell carcinoma tissues or detecting the carcinogenesis process. Our findings suggest that the use of HER2/neu as a salivary marker of HNSCC is not recommended, because no significant preoperative elevation and no association with clinicopathological features were found.