Hildebrand Laura C, Carvalho Ana L, Lauxen Isabel S, Nör Jacques E, Cerski Carlos T S, Sant'Ana Filho Manoel
Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
J Oral Pathol Med. 2014 Aug;43(7):499-506. doi: 10.1111/jop.12169. Epub 2014 Feb 17.
CD44 and aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) are considered putative markers of highly tumorigenic cells (i.e., cancer stem-like cells) in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. This small subset of cells is believed to be the primary responsible for tumor initiation and progression. The objectives of this study were (i) to evaluate the patterns of CD44 and ALDH1 expression in the tumor center and in the invasive front, as well as in adjacent non-tumor epithelium, and (ii) to correlate these findings with clinical parameters.
The sample comprised 44 patients with primary head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was used for histopathological tumor grading and for morphological analysis of adjacent non-tumor epithelium. Semiquantitative analysis was performed in histological sections immunostained for CD44 and ALDH1.
ALDH1 immunostaining in the invasive front showed positive association with tumor size, regional metastasis, tumor histopathological grading, and disease progression. Moreover, expression of this marker in both tumor invasive front and adjacent non-tumor epithelium was related with more aggressive tumors. CD44 immunostaining was heterogeneous in all areas evaluated and did not show association with clinical data.
Collectively, these data suggest that ALDH1 immunostaining in the invasive front and in adjacent non-tumor epithelium may help identify tumors with a more aggressive behavior, potentially contributing to improving treatment customization and the monitoring of patients with head and neck cancer.
CD44和醛脱氢酶1（ALDH1）被认为是头颈部鳞状细胞癌中高致瘤性细胞（即癌干细胞样细胞）的假定标志物。据信这一小部分细胞是肿瘤起始和进展的主要原因。本研究的目的是：（i）评估肿瘤中心、浸润前沿以及相邻非肿瘤上皮中CD44和ALDH1的表达模式，以及（ii）将这些发现与临床参数相关联。
样本包括44例原发性头颈部鳞状细胞癌患者。苏木精和伊红（HE）染色用于肿瘤组织病理学分级和相邻非肿瘤上皮的形态学分析。对CD44和ALDH1免疫染色的组织切片进行半定量分析。
浸润前沿的ALDH1免疫染色与肿瘤大小、区域转移、肿瘤组织病理学分级和疾病进展呈正相关。此外，该标志物在肿瘤浸润前沿和相邻非肿瘤上皮中的表达均与侵袭性更强的肿瘤相关。CD44免疫染色在所有评估区域均呈异质性，且与临床数据无关。
总体而言，这些数据表明浸润前沿和相邻非肿瘤上皮中的ALDH1免疫染色可能有助于识别行为更具侵袭性的肿瘤，可能有助于改进治疗定制和对头颈部癌患者的监测。
