Endoglin (CD105) expression in head and neck basaloid squamous cell carcinoma.

CONCLUSIONS

This comparison of neo-angiogenesis performed by analysing CD105 expression seems to suggest that the biological behaviour of head and neck BSCCs is similar to that of site- and stage-matched conventional SCCs.

OBJECTIVE

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) is an uncommon, high-grade biomorphic variant of SCC with a predilection for the head and neck region. It is a matter of controversy whether the biological and clinical behaviour of BSCC is more aggressive than that of SCC. Angiogenesis is essential for tumour growth. It has been established that endothelial cells of tumour-associated neovasculature proliferate more rapidly than endothelial cells of normal tissue. Endoglin (CD105) has been shown to be a useful marker for identifying proliferating endothelium involved in tumour angiogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of CD105 in head and neck BSCCs and to compare it with that in SCCs.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Nine head and neck BSCCs (five cases in the larynx, three in the tongue and one in the tonsil) were considered. A group of nine site- and stage-matched SCCs was examined simultaneously. For each sample, CD105 reactivity was evaluated immunohistochemically. The mean area fraction (percentage of fields occupied by vessels), the percentage of vessel-presenting fields and the vessel density were considered.

RESULTS

The median values of the mean area fraction were 1.01% and 0.9% in BSCCs and SCCs, respectively. The median values of the percentage of vessel-presenting fields were 57.5% and 46.67% in BSCCs and SCCs, respectively. The median values of vessel density were 2.07% and 1.58% in BSCCs and SCCs, respectively. Statistical analysis did not disclose any significant differences between BSCCs and SCCs for any of the above-mentioned parameters.