A pilot study reveals the potential of miR-31-3p and miR-196a-5p as non-invasive biomarkers in advanced laryngeal cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Recently, miRNAs have become popular molecules used as non-invasive biomarkers in cancer diseases. AIM: The aim of the study was to explore the expression of four miRNAs isoforms: miR-31-3p, miR-196a-5p, miR-210-3p and miR-424-5p in plasma and tissue samples from patients with advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) and healthy controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fresh-frozen tumour and normal laryngeal tissue as well as plasma samples were obtained from 22 patients diagnosed with advanced LSCC. The control group included plasma samples from 21 cancer-free volunteers. Total RNA (including miRNAs) extraction, reverse transcription and real time qPCR were the laboratory techniques used in the study. The obtained results were analyzed using SPSS software v. 23. RESULTS: We found that miR-31-3p, miR-196a-5p, and miR-210-3p levels were significantly elevated in laryngeal tumour tissue, but only the levels of miR-31-3p and miR-196a-5p were significantly upregulated in the plasma LSCC target group. Positive correlation was obtained for miR-31-3p (rs=0.443, p=0.039) and miR-196a-5p (rs=0.548; p=0.008) between plasma and adjacent tumour tissue LSCC samples. ROC analyses were used to evaluate the discriminative power of both miRNAs alone and in combination. The combination of miR-31-3p and miR-196a-5p showed best results with AUC=0.978 (95% CI: 0.945-1.000, p.

Novel insights into laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma from association study of aberrantly expressed miRNAs, lncRNAs and clinical features in Bulgarian patients.

PURPOSE: Laryngeal cancer is one of most common and aggressive head and neck cancers with poor prognosis and great necessity for improvement of treatment modalities. MicroRNAs (miRs) are among the most investigated molecules recently due to their potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in cancer. The purpose of our study was to explore the association of certain clinicopathological features with the expression levels of some known cancer associated non-coding (nc) RNAs: miR-21 and miR-31 in both of their isoforms, miR-145-5p, miR-55-5p, miR-196a-5p, miR-210-3p, miR-221-3p, miR-222-3p, miR-424-5p, lncRNA MALAT1 and lncRNA HOTAIR. METHODS: Expression levels of the chosen markers were investigated in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) and normal samples in 82 Bulgarian patients via RT-qPCR, and the results were analyzed with SPSS v23.0 statistical software. RESULTS: All of the explored ncRNAs were significantly deregulated in LSCC samples, suggesting their involvement in laryngeal carcinogenesis. New significant association were found between the expression levels of miR-21-5p, miR-222-3p, HOTAIR and family history. Moreover, miR-424-5p showed potential as marker for subglottic LSCC location, and "passenger" miR-31-3p was significantly upregulated in well and moderately differentiated LSCC. CONCLUSION: Our results enrich the knowledge about ncRNA involvement in LSCC tumorigenesis. Further studies are needed to evaluate the clinical utility of the differently expressed ncRNAs as potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in LSCC.

Cricotracheal Resection in a Patient with Severe Subglottic Stenosis - Advantages of a Temporary Non-Cannulated Tracheostomy.

BACKGROUND: Stenosis in the area of the cricotracheal segment is still a challenging problem to be dealt with. Post-intubational cases mark an increase in recent years due to the advances in intensive care, thoracic surgery and neurosurgery departments. CASE REPORT: This paper describes a case report of a patient with severe subglottic stenosis (grade III according to the Cotton-Myer scale), introduces a new option in cricotracheal resections - postoperative temporary non-cannulated tracheostomy and describes its advantages. CONCLUSION: This variation of classical operative techniques provides additional fixation of the trachea, thus relieving any transitory tension on the anastomosis; acts as a valve and decreases the air-pressure in the upper airways during coughing and sneezing in the post-operative period; and is an easy access point for video tracheoscopy of the anastomosis.

Relative quantitative expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, -2α and -3α, and vascular endothelial growth factor A in laryngeal carcinoma.

The aim of the present study was to determine the relative quantitative expression of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α, -2α and -3α, and VEGF-A in laryngeal carcinoma. A total of 63 patients with carcinoma of the larynx were enrolled in the study. Total RNA was isolated from fresh, frozen normal and tumor tissues of each patient, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed. HIF-1α was upregulated in the majority of patients (44 patients; 69.84%). By contrast, only 7 (11.11%) patients from the whole group displayed HIF-2α overexpression, while the HIF-3α isoform was silenced in the majority of patients (48 patients, 76.19%). A small group of 5 (7.94%) patients exhibited significant overexpression of the HIF-3α isoform. VEGF-A expression was significantly higher (P<0.05) in patients with upregulated HIF-1α (2.72±1.41 RQ) compared with patients without upregulated HIF-1α (1.86±1.46 RQ). There was a moderate positive correlation between mRNA expression levels of HIF-1α and VEGF-A (rs=0.392; P<0.005). To the best of our knowledge, this study is first to report quantitative data with regard to the expression of all three HIF isoforms in malignant neoplasms. The findings suggest the existence of specific phenotypes of HIF expression in laryngeal carcinoma, where the HIF switch is absent.

Auditory outcome after cochlear implantation in patients with congenital nonsyndromic hearing loss: influence of the GJB2 status.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the audiologic outcome after cochlear implantation between 2 groups of patients with congenital nonsyndromic sensorineural hearing loss. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University hospital (tertiary referral center). PATIENTS: From a bigger pool of implanted patients, 2 groups, each numbering 30 were enrolled. The patients from the first group were diagnosed with a Connexin 26 mutation (GJB2), whereas all of the patients from the second cohort were with a wild type genotype. Both groups were age matched, 1 to 7 years old at the age of implantation, with diagnosed congenital nonsyndromic sensorineural hearing loss. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Both groups were evaluated with the help evaluation of auditory responses to speech/EARS/test battery - LiP test (Listening Progress Profile), MTP tests 3,6,12 (Monosyllabic-Trochee-Polysyllabic Test), GASP test (Glendonald Auditory Screening Procedure), and others. Follow-up period was at least 36 months. RESULTS: Mean test scores were compared at the 1st, 6th, 12th, 24th, and 36th month. LiP outcome was significantly better (p < 0.05) for the GJB2-related cohort for the whole follow-up period except at the first month. MTP3, 6, and 12 tests displayed the same statistically significant outcome in favor of the first group. In the open-set test GASP, the difference was apparent: 1.22, 2.40, 5.59, and 7.40 mean scores at the 6th, 12th, 24, and 36th months for the first cohort versus 0.00, 0.07, 0.81, and 1.74 for the GJB2-unrelated patients. CONCLUSION: The results from our study suggest that children with GJB2-related deafness show better auditory performance after cochlear implantation than age-matched children with GJB2-nonrelated sensorineural hearing loss.