CD73 expression in lymph node metastases in patients with head and neck cancer

Abstract

Introduction: CD73 is an enzyme crucial in the metabolism of immunosuppressive adenosine. In cancer, it has various functions including tumor growth and metastases. Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck has an overall poor prognosis, also due to early spread of metastatic cells.

Materials and methods: Tumor and lymph node specimens of 65 patients with HNSCC were subjected to immunohistochemical and H-score analysis of CD73 expression. Demographics, diagnoses, histopathology and subsequent outcome were analyzed.

Results: The primary cancer was squamous cell carcinoma in all patients (male/female 55:10) with the following locations: oral cavity n:16, oropharynx n:28, hypopharynx n:11 and larynx n:10. H-score for CD73 expression in the primary lesion and metastatic lymph nodes was significantly higher in advanced compared to early stages with no significant differences among tumor locations. High CD73 expression was associated with reduced overall survival rates at a mean follow-up of 83.4 months (6–204 months).

Conclusions: CD73 expression in HNSCC correlated positively with tumor stage and was associated with poor prognosis. Therefore, CD73 expression in primary lesions and regional metastases appears to predict HNSCC patients at high risk of all tumor sites. Therapeutic approaches targeting CD73 might seem promising for this patient population.

Chinese abstract

简介：CD73是一种在免疫抑制腺苷代谢上至关重要的酶, 对癌症起着若干作用, 包括肿瘤生长和转移。头颈部鳞状细胞癌的预后总体差, 也是由于转移细胞的早期扩散。

材料与方法：对65例HNSCC患者的肿瘤和淋巴结标本进行了CD73表达的免疫组织化学和H评分分析。分析了人口学、诊断、组织病理学及其随后的结果。

结果：所有患者（男性：女性为55:10）的原发性癌症均为鳞状细胞癌, 其位置如下：口腔（n = 16）、口咽（n = 28）、下咽喉（n = 11）和喉（n = 10）。在原发灶和转移淋巴结中的CD73表达的H评分, 晚期癌症与早期相比显著高, 与肿瘤位置没有关系。平均随访为83.4个月（6-204个月）, 高CD73表达与总生存率降低相关。

结论：HNSCC的CD73表达与肿瘤发展期呈正相关, 其预后差。因此, 在原发性病变和区域扩散中的CD73表达似乎预测了HNSCC患者很有可能在所有部位患有肿瘤。针对CD73的治疗方法对于该患者人群来说似乎是有希望的。

Keywords:

• Head and neck cancer
• lymph node metastases
• ectonucleotidases
• CD73

Disclosure statement

All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.