Alterations of high endothelial venules in primary and metastatic tumors are correlated with lymph node metastasis of oral and pharyngeal carcinoma

Abstract

High endothelial venules (HEVs) are special blood vessels in the paracortical region of lymph nodes (LNs) and govern lymphocyte recruitment. LN metastasis has similarity to circulating lymphocytes homing to LNs, but the role of HEVs in the progression of oral and pharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is unclear. In this study, we found that HEVs experienced a series of morphological and functional changes during OPSCC progression and were correlated with LN metastasis. In 9 cases of 73 metastatic LNs, tumor emboli were located adjacent to HEVs or just out of the vessels but not lymphatic channels. Gap junctions of tumor cells close to HEVs decreased or disappeared, and gaps were left at contact points where tumor cells attached to the HEVs. Moreover, the proliferation rate of endothelial cells of HEVs was the highest in metastatic LNs. Finally, L-selectin was detected in both primary and metastatic tumors, and it facilitated tumor cells adhering to LNs. In conclusion, our findings suggest that remodeled HEVs are correlated with LN metastasis of OPSCC and play important role in this process by preparing premetastatic soil for cancer cell metastasis.

Keywords: :

• high endothelial venules
• lymph nodes
• oral and pharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma
• metastasis
• L-selectin

This article is referred to by:

Alterations of high endothelial venules in primary and metastatic tumors are correlated with lymph node metastasis of oral and pharyngeal carcinoma

10.4161/cbt.27328

Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Acknowledgments

We thank Prof Xin-Ming Chen, Bao-Ping Chen, Ping Fang, and Sen-Lin Lei for their support. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30872893 and 81172570) and PhD Candidates Self-research (including 1 + 4) Program of Wuhan University in 2010 (20103040101000165). The funding source had no any role in the study design; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the article for publication.