Inoue Masahisa, Roan Cheng-Hsiung, Abe Tomomi, Buery Rosario R, Nagatsuka Hitoshi, Katase Naoki, Nagai Noriyuki, Setsu Kojun
Laboratories for Structure and Function Research, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima Bunri University, Tokushima;
Exp Ther Med. 2011 Sep;2(5):793-797. doi: 10.3892/etm.2011.277. Epub 2011 May 31.
Lymph node metastasis is considered a factor in determining the prognosis of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Both oral and cervical SCC tumor cells prefer lymph vessels as the route of metastasis. D2-40 is a specific marker of lymphatic endothelial cells. This study clarifies the distribution and characteristics of lymphatic vessels in oral and cervical SCCs. Immunohistochemistry was performed in 20 oral and 20 cervical SCCs (10 non-metastatic and 10 metastatic to lymph nodes) using D2-40, CD31, CD34, CD105 and double staining with D2-40 and keratin. Lymphatic vessel density (LVD) was also determined morphologically. Results showed that lymphatic vessels in both types of SCCs were distributed mainly at the superficial region beneath the epithelium. The LVD in each tumor was significantly higher compared to the corresponding normal mucosa. Moreover, the LVD in lymph node metastasis in each tumor was significantly higher compared to their non-metastatic counterparts. Cancer cell invasion was observed in the lymphatic vessels suggesting the existence of lymph node involvement during metastasis. The new lymphatic vessels that proliferated around the cancer nests in both SCCs have endothelial cell characteristics inferred to be associated with early lymphatic development and initial dissemination of cancer cells.
淋巴结转移被认为是决定鳞状细胞癌（SCC）预后的一个因素。口腔和宫颈鳞状细胞癌的肿瘤细胞都倾向于通过淋巴管作为转移途径。D2-40是淋巴管内皮细胞的一种特异性标志物。本研究阐明了口腔和宫颈鳞状细胞癌中淋巴管的分布及特征。使用D2-40、CD31、CD34、CD105以及D2-40与角蛋白双重染色，对20例口腔鳞状细胞癌和20例宫颈鳞状细胞癌（10例无淋巴结转移，10例有淋巴结转移）进行免疫组织化学检测。还通过形态学方法测定了淋巴管密度（LVD）。结果显示，两种类型的鳞状细胞癌中的淋巴管主要分布在上皮下方的浅表区域。与相应的正常黏膜相比，每个肿瘤中的LVD显著更高。此外，每个肿瘤中发生淋巴结转移的LVD显著高于未发生转移的肿瘤。在淋巴管中观察到癌细胞浸润，提示转移过程中存在淋巴结受累情况。在两种鳞状细胞癌的癌巢周围增殖的新生淋巴管具有内皮细胞特征，推测与早期淋巴管发育及癌细胞的初始播散有关。
