EGFR immunoexpression and peripheral blood cytokine secretion as potential biomarkers of tumor behavior in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and proinflammatory cytokines have been implicated in the dysregulated cell growth and increased aggressiveness of human cancers. The purpose of this study was to analyze EGFR immunoexpression in neoplastic tissues and IL-6 and TNFalpha secretion by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and to investigate their relationships with certain clinicopathological characteristics.

MATERIAL/METHODS: Tumor expression of membranous and cytoplasmic EGFR was measured in 45 cases of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma by IHC staining. IL-6 and TNFalpha concentrations in 21-h PBMC cultures were measured by ELISA. Relationships between EGFR and cytokine secretion and clinicopathological characteristics such as pT status, pN status, and TFG classification, which include the parameters of the most invasive zones of neoplastic tissue and histological grade, were analyzed.

RESULTS

The membranous EGFR index had a very strong association with pT stage, mode of invasion, and lymphocytic plasma infiltration of the tumor stroma. Relationships between the cytoplasmic EGFR index and nuclear polymorphism as well as TFG score for advanced carcinomas and histological grade in less invasive tumors were highlighted. The correlations of IL-6 and TNFalpha levels with TFG score, pT status, histological grade, and mode of tumor invasion were also significant.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings confirmed the importance of EGFR immunoexpression rate as well as IL-6 and TNFalpha secretion by PBMCs as potential biomarkers for assessing the aggressive tumor phenotype in laryngeal carcinoma.