First Department of Pathology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, 11527, Greece.
Second Department of Propaedeutic Surgery, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian, University of Athens, Athens, 11527, Greece.
Curr Med Chem. 2019;26(25):4726-4748. doi: 10.2174/0929867325666180713154505.
Adipokines constitute a family of protein factors secreted by white adipose tissue (WAT), that regulate the functions of WAT and other sites. Leptin, adiponectin and resistin, are the main adipokines present in serum and saliva, targeting several tissues and organs, including vessels, muscles, liver and pancreas. Besides body mass regulation, adipokines affect glucose homeostasis, inflammation, angiogenesis, cell proliferation and apoptosis, and other crucial cell procedures. Their involvement in tumor formation and growth is well established and deregulation of adipokine and adipokine receptors' expression is observed in several malignancies including those located in the head and neck region. Intracellular effects of adipokines are mediated by a plethora of receptors that activate several signaling cascades including Janus kinase/ Signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/ STAT pathway), Phospatidylinositol kinase (PI3/ Akt/ mTOR) and Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR). The present review summarizes the current knowledge on the role of adipokines family members in carcinogenesis of the head and neck region. The diagnostic and prognostic significance of adipokines and their potential role as serum and saliva biomarkers are also discussed.
脂肪因子是由白色脂肪组织（WAT）分泌的一组蛋白质因子，调节 WAT 和其他部位的功能。瘦素、脂联素和抵抗素是血清和唾液中主要的脂肪因子，针对包括血管、肌肉、肝脏和胰腺在内的多个组织和器官。除了调节体重外，脂肪因子还影响葡萄糖稳态、炎症、血管生成、细胞增殖和凋亡等关键细胞过程。它们在肿瘤形成和生长中的作用已得到充分证实，并且在包括头颈部区域在内的几种恶性肿瘤中观察到脂肪因子和脂肪因子受体表达的失调。脂肪因子的细胞内作用是由大量受体介导的，这些受体激活包括 Janus 激酶/信号转导和转录激活因子（JAK/STAT 途径）、Phospatidylinositol 激酶（PI3/Akt/mTOR）和过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体（PPAR）在内的几种信号通路。本综述总结了脂肪因子家族成员在头颈部区域致癌作用中的作用的最新知识。还讨论了脂肪因子的诊断和预后意义及其作为血清和唾液生物标志物的潜在作用。
