Tumoral Expression of CD44 and HIF1α Predict Stage I Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma Outcome

Johannes Dunkel; Samuli Vaittinen; Petri Koivunen; Jussi Laranne; Markus J Mäkinen; Satu Tommola; Heikki Irjala

doi:10.1002/lio2.3

Tumoral Expression of CD44 and HIF1α Predict Stage I Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma Outcome

Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2016 Jan 14;1(1):6-12. doi: 10.1002/lio2.3. eCollection 2016 Feb.

Authors

Johannes Dunkel¹, Samuli Vaittinen², Petri Koivunen³, Jussi Laranne⁴, Markus J Mäkinen⁵, Satu Tommola⁶, Heikki Irjala⁷

Affiliations

¹ Medicity Research Laboratory and Turku Doctoral Programme of Molecular Medicine University of Turku.
² the Department of Pathology University of Turku and Turku University Hospital Turku.
³ the Research Center for Otorhinolaryngology and Ophthalmology, University of Oulu and Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital.
⁴ the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Tampere University Hospital.
⁵ the Department of Pathologyand Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu Oulu.
⁶ the Department of Pathology University of Tampere and Tampere University Hospital Tampere Finland.
⁷ the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Turku University Hospital.

PMID: 28894797
PMCID: PMC5580857
DOI: 10.1002/lio2.3

Abstract

Objectives/hypothesis: No biomarkers are used to estimate the prognosis in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). In our previously published work, we have reported the prognostic value of CD44 and hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1α in patients with stage I disease.

Study design: In this study, we tested our previous observations in a larger cohort. We also studied the predictive value of common lymphatic endothelial and vascular endothelial receptor (CLEVER)-1 in this material.

Methods: CD44, HIF1α, and CLEVER-1 were immunohistochemically analyzed in paraffin-embedded tissue material of stage I OSCC patients treated at three Finnish university hospitals. Microscopy results were correlated with OSCC outcome.

Results: As in our pilot study, the CD44^lowHIF1α^high signature was associated with poorer disease-free survival. Clear correlations between CLEVER-1 expression and clinical outcome were not evident.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that immunohistochemistry of CD44 and HIF1α may be useful in identification of patients with poor prognoses. These parameters could be used to select the optimal treatment modalities for stage I OSCC patients.

Level of evidence: 2b.

Keywords: Biomarkers; CD44; CLEVER‐1; HIF1α; OSCC.