Department of Clinical Laboratory, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, No 30 Zhongyang Road, Nanjing, 210008, China.
Diagn Pathol. 2023 Aug 4;18(1):88. doi: 10.1186/s13000-023-01377-x.
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) causes much health and economic burden, and the therapeutic results must be improved. Glucose metabolism is an essential component of tumor metabolism and is instrumental in its development. Glucose transporter types (GLUTs) can uptake glucose from the extracellular matrix (ECM), regulating cellular metabolism in several cancers. However, the function of different GLUT proteins in HNSCC remains unclear. To clarify the role of GLUTs in HNSCC, several open-access online databases (Oncomine, GEPIA, Kaplan-Meier, cBioPortal, GeneMANIA, and TIMER) were used to evaluate the differential expression, clinical significance, genetic alteration, and relative immune cell infiltration. The expression of GLUTs was detected in clinical patient samples by immunohistochemistry. The mRNA level of SLC2A1/3 significantly increased in HNSCC, while SLC2A4 reduced. SLC2A3 was related to the advanced clinical stage and short overall survival (OS) in HNSCC. Also, higher SLC2A1/2 mRNA expression was related to shorter OS in HNSCC patients. The expression of GLUTs was related to diverse immune cells, including B cells, CD4 T cells, CD8 T cells, dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages, and Treg cells in HNSCC. Moreover, the high expression of GLUTs was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry in patient tissues. GLUTs might have a potential role in HNSCC's progression and development. Therefore, the current findings might offer a novel perception for selecting GLUT family prognostic markers and treatment for HNSCC patients.
头颈部鳞状细胞癌（HNSCC）造成了巨大的健康和经济负担，必须改善其治疗效果。葡萄糖代谢是肿瘤代谢的重要组成部分，对其发展至关重要。葡萄糖转运蛋白类型（GLUTs）可以从细胞外基质（ECM）摄取葡萄糖，调节几种癌症中的细胞代谢。然而，不同 GLUT 蛋白在 HNSCC 中的功能仍不清楚。为了阐明 GLUTs 在 HNSCC 中的作用，使用了几个开放获取的在线数据库（Oncomine、GEPIA、Kaplan-Meier、cBioPortal、GeneMANIA 和 TIMER）来评估差异表达、临床意义、遗传改变和相对免疫细胞浸润。通过免疫组织化学检测临床患者样本中 GLUTs 的表达。SLC2A1/3 的 mRNA 水平在 HNSCC 中显著增加，而 SLC2A4 降低。SLC2A3 与 HNSCC 的晚期临床阶段和总生存期（OS）短有关。此外，SLC2A1/2 mRNA 表达水平较高与 HNSCC 患者的 OS 较短有关。GLUTs 的表达与 HNSCC 中的多种免疫细胞有关，包括 B 细胞、CD4 T 细胞、CD8 T 细胞、树突状细胞（DCs）、巨噬细胞和 Treg 细胞。此外，免疫组织化学显示患者组织中 GLUTs 的表达较高。GLUTs 可能在 HNSCC 的进展和发展中具有潜在作用。因此，目前的研究结果可能为选择 GLUT 家族预后标志物和治疗 HNSCC 患者提供新的认识。
