title: EB-D fibronectin expression in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.
abstract: ED-B fibronectin (ED-B FN), a glycoprotein involved in cell adhesion and migration, is expressed in fetal and neoplastic tissues and absent in their normal counterparts. The aim of this study is to evaluate the expression of this glycoprotein in relation to the histological and clinical data and to determine whether it has a prognostic value in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Ninety-five cases were assessed for ED-B FN expression using immunohistochemistry. Positive ED-B FN expression was significantly associated with tumor grade (p=0.06) and primary tumor site (p=0.02). The larynx was the tumor site associated with the least ED-B FN expression. In univariate analysis, there was no association with disease-free survival (p=0.48), but the mean time to progression was clearly shorter in tumors with positive ED-B FN expression than in those with negative expression (6 vs. 11 months). Patients having tumors expressing the ED-B FN had a trend to a significant lower overall survival in the multivariate analysis (p=0.06). Our study showed that ED-B FN expression might have a prognostic value in patients with HNSCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Geneva University Hospital, CMU Michel-Servet 1, Geneva 1211, Switzerland. pmhawech1@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Paulette
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mhawech
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dulguerov
authors.forename: Mounia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Assaly
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ares
authors.forename: Abdelkarim S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Allal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D005353:Fibronectins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins