title: Erythropoietin signaling promotes invasiveness of human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: Erythropoietin (Epo) is used for managing anemia in cancer patients. However, recent studies have raised concerns for this practice. We investigated the expression and function of Epo and the erythropoietin receptor (EpoR) in tumor biopsies and cell lines from human head and neck cancer. Epo responsiveness of the cell lines was assessed by Epoetin-alpha-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of the Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) protein kinase. Transmigration assays across Matrigel-coated filters were used to examine the effects of Epoetin-alpha on cell invasiveness. In 32 biopsies, we observed a significant association between disease progression and expression of Epo and its receptor, EpoR. Expression was highest in malignant cells, particularly within hypoxic and infiltrating tumor regions. Although both Epo and EpoR were expressed in human head and neck carcinoma cell lines, only EpoR was upregulated by hypoxia. Epoetin-alpha treatment induced prominent JAK2 phosphorylation and enhanced cell invasion. Inhibition of JAK2 phosphorylation reduced both basal and Epo-induced invasiveness. Our findings support a role for autocrine or paracrine Epo signaling in the malignant progression and local invasiveness of head and neck cancer. This mechanism may also be activated by recombinant Epo therapy and could potentially produce detrimental effects in rhEpo-treated cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mohyeldin
authors.forename: Huasheng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Clifton
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dalgard
authors.forename: Stephen Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Noam
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Geza
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Acs
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verma
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement; D003094:Collagen / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D053614:Janus Kinase 2; D007797:Laminin / Q000494:pharmacology; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000494:pharmacology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D017467:Receptors, Erythropoietin / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004338:Drug Combinations; D007797:Laminin; D011509:Proteoglycans; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017467:Receptors, Erythropoietin; D004921:Erythropoietin; C059485:matrigel; D014443:Tyrosine; D003094:Collagen; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C507924:JAK2 protein, human; D053614:Janus Kinase 2