Department of Stomatology (Oral Pathology), Dental School, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil.
Oral Oncol. 2010 Mar;46(3):185-9. doi: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2009.11.016. Epub 2010 Jan 8.
Granzyme B (GB) is a serine protease synthesized by activated cytotoxic T-lymphocytes and natural killer cells that induces neoplastic cells apoptosis. The expression of GB in the tumor microenvironment has been considered a favorable prognostic factor in several types of human cancers. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the density of GB(+) cells in samples of oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC), as well as their relationship with clinical and microscopic parameters. GB expression was analyzed in 55 cases of OCSCC and metastatic and non-metastatic lymph nodes by means of immunohistochemistry. The high density of GB(+) cells demonstrated an association with the high percentage of Bax(+) and annexin V(+) neoplastic cells. In addition, the number of peritumoral GB(+) cells was significantly higher in the OCSCC group without lymph node metastasis, when compared with the metastatic OCSCC group. Moreover, patients with OCSCC with a high density of peritumoral GB(+) cells showed a longer survival time when compared with patients with a lower density of these cells. In lymph node tissues, the density of GB(+) cells was significantly higher in non-metastatic lymph nodes than in metastatic lymph nodes. Our findings suggest that the increased of expression of GB in the tumor microenvironment of OCSCC and in lymph nodes may have beneficial effect against neoplastic cells, contributing to apoptosis of these cells and increased survival of patients.
颗粒酶 B（GB）是一种由激活的细胞毒性 T 淋巴细胞和自然杀伤细胞合成的丝氨酸蛋白酶，可诱导肿瘤细胞凋亡。在几种类型的人类癌症中，肿瘤微环境中 GB 的表达被认为是一个有利的预后因素。因此，本研究旨在评估口腔鳞状细胞癌（OCSCC）样本中 GB(+)细胞的密度，并分析其与临床和显微镜参数的关系。通过免疫组织化学方法分析了 55 例 OCSCC 及转移性和非转移性淋巴结中 GB 的表达。高浓度的 GB(+)细胞与 Bax(+)和 annexin V(+)肿瘤细胞的高百分比相关。此外，与转移性 OCSCC 组相比，无淋巴结转移的 OCSCC 组肿瘤周围 GB(+)细胞数量明显更高。此外，与 GB(+)细胞密度较低的患者相比，肿瘤周围 GB(+)细胞密度较高的 OCSCC 患者的生存时间更长。在淋巴结组织中，非转移性淋巴结中 GB(+)细胞的密度明显高于转移性淋巴结。我们的研究结果表明，OCSCC 肿瘤微环境和淋巴结中 GB 表达的增加可能对肿瘤细胞产生有益的影响，促进这些细胞的凋亡并提高患者的生存率。
