Prognostic value of CXCL12 and CXCR4 in inoperable head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

The chemokine CXCL12 and its receptor CXCR4 can affect tumor growth, recurrence, and metastasis. We tested the hypothesis that the CXCL12 and CXCR4 expression influences the prognosis of patients with inoperable head and neck cancer treated with definite radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy.

METHODS:

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded pretreatment tumor tissue from 233 patients with known HPV/p16(INK4A) status was analyzed. CXCL12 and CXCR4 expressions were correlated with pretreatment parameters and survival data by univariate and multivariate Cox regression.

RESULTS:

CXCL12 was expressed in 43.3 % and CXCR4 in 66.1 % of the samples and both were correlated with HPV/p16(INK4A) positivity. A high CXCL12 expression was associated with increased overall survival (p = 0.036), while a high CXCR4 expression was associated with decreased metastasis-free survival (p = 0.034).

CONCLUSION:

A high CXCR4 expression could be regarded as a negative prognostic factor in head and neck cancer because it may foster metastatic spread. This may recommend CXCR4 as therapeutic target for combating head and neck cancer metastasis.

• Authors: Margret Rave-Fränk, Narges Tehrany, Julia Kitz, Martin Leu, Hanne Elisabeth Weber, Peter Burfeind, Henning Schliephake, Martin Canis, Tim Beissbarth, Holger Michael Reichardt, Hendrik Andreas Wolff
• Journal: Strahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al] (Strahlenther Onkol) Vol. 192 Issue 1 Pg. 47-54 (Jan 2016) ISSN: 1439-099X [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 26374452 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• CXCL12 protein, human
• CXCR4 protein, human
• Chemokine CXCL12
• Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16
• Receptors, CXCR4

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Carcinoma, Squamous Cell (genetics, mortality, pathology, therapy)
• Chemokine CXCL12 (genetics)
• Chemoradiotherapy
• Cohort Studies
• Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16 (genetics)
• Disease Progression
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Humans
• Lymphatic Metastasis (pathology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasm Staging
• Otorhinolaryngologic Neoplasms (genetics, mortality, pathology, therapy)
• Prognosis
• Receptors, CXCR4 (genetics)
• Statistics as Topic
• Survival Rate