title: Prognostic significance of polo-like kinase (PLK) expression in squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck.
abstract: Previously, we demonstrated that the mammalian polo-like kinase (PLK), which participates in the regulation of the cell cycle, is a novel marker of cellular proliferation. Because current prognostic tools for the evaluation of patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) need to be improved, we analyzed 89 patients and found elevated PLK expression in most tumors. Nodal stage as a crucial prognostic factor in HNSCC also correlated to PLK transcript levels (P = 0.0043). A Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that HNSCC patients with moderate versus high PLK expression survived significantly longer (5-year survival rates, 43% versus 12%; P = 0.0047). Interestingly, a combination of nodal stage and PLK expression contributed to discriminate patients with a better prognosis in the pN(0/1) and pN(2/3) groups, which could improve the definition of a suitable therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, J. W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Knecht
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Elez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oechler
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Solbach
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: von Ilberg
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Strebhardt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015996:Survival Rate; D000097869:Polo-Like Kinase 1
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D011494:Protein Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000097869:Polo-Like Kinase 1