[Significance of ceramide from precancerous lesion to carcinoma of larynx].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the expression of ceramide produced by sphingomyelin in normal laryngeal mucosa, laryngeal precancerous lesion and laryngeal carcinoma.

METHODS

One hundred and seventy-eight consecutive patients with leukoplakia larynx were identified from the archived pathology files of Eye Ear Nose and Throat Hospital of Fudan University from 1991 to 2001. Among them, 31 patients developed laryngeal carcinoma. Flow cytometry (FCM) and immunohistochemistry were performed to test DNA content and ceramide expression on normal tissue, precancerous lesions and laryngeal carcinoma

RESULTS

Among thirty-one patients with laryngeal carcinoma, thirty-one cases are all aneuploids, diploids in all normal laryngeal mucosa and three diploids, twenty-eight aneuploids in precancerous lesions. Expression of ceramide decreased gradually from normal tissue, precancerous lesions to laryngeal carcinoma Cell staining per high-power field: (400 +/- 30, 180 +/- 20, 10 +/- 10), t test: P < 0.01. The expression of ceramide in DNA diploid cell (400 +/- 20) is more than that in aneuploid cell (150 +/- 10), t test: P < 0.01.

CONCLUSIONS

Ceramide, the second messenger in apoptosis, plays a significant role from precancerous lesion to carcinoma of larynx. Reduction of ceramide may be the key factor contribution to laryngeal carcinogenesis.