TGF-alpha immunoreactivity in laryngeal carcinoma: lack of prognostic value and correlation to EGF-receptor expression.

BACKGROUND

Transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha) is a polypeptide that is structurally similar to epidermal growth factor (EGF) that binds to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and has been implicated in the development of several types of human tumours.

METHODS

The expression of TGF-alpha is examined in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (n = 24) and non-neoplastic polyps (n = 7) using streptavidin-biotin immunohistochemistry and a monoclonal antibody to the TGF-alpha protein. These cases had been previously characterized for EGFR immunoreactivity. The carcinomas were classified as well differentiated (n = 2), moderately differentiated (n = 16) and poorly differentiated (n = 6). Tissues from metastatic tumour deposits in lymph nodes (n = 5) were also studied.

RESULTS

TGF-alpha overexpression was defined as intense immunoreactivity in more than two-thirds of tumour cells immunostained for TGF-alpha and was present in the majority of the SCC cases (n = 15; 63%) and metastatic tumour deposits (n = 4; 80%). In contrast, although some of the vocal cord polyps showed weak (n = 2) to moderate (n = 5) immunostaining, none had evidence of strong TGF-alpha immunoreactivity. The differences in TGF-alpha immunoreactivity were significant between primary laryngeal SCC and vocal cord polyps (P = 0.013; chi 2 test with continuity correction), and between metastatic laryngeal SCC and vocal cord polyps (P = 0.023; chi 2 test with continuity correction). There was no significant difference in TGF-alpha expression between the different grades of carcinomas (P = 0.92, chi 2 test) or between non-metastatic and metastatic carcinomas (P = 0.82; chi 2 test with continuity correction). No significant correlation was found between TGF-alpha expression and patient survival or tumour recurrence (r = 0.077, r2 = 0.006, P = 0.75; simple regression analysis), or between TGF-alpha expression and EGFR immunoreactivity (r = 0.325, r2 = 0.106, P = 0.0851).

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, increased TGF-alpha immunoreactivity is present in most cases of laryngeal SCC with no specific relationship to tumour grade, suggesting that it may be important in the development of laryngeal carcinomas but not in its progression. No significant correlation was found between TGF-alpha and EGFR expression in laryngeal tumours and TGF-alpha immunoreactivity is of no prognostic value.