Effect of treatment of larynx and hypopharynx carcinomas on serum syndecan-1 concentrations.
OBJECTIVE
Syndecan-1 is a multifunctional transmembrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan present on a variety of cell types that mediates basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and other growth factor binding. High serum syndecan-1 (S-syndecan-1) ectodomain levels have been found to be associated with poor outcome in lung cancer and myeloma, but little is known about the effect of cancer treatment on S-syndecan-1 levels. We studied S-syndecan-1 levels longitudinally in a series of patients diagnosed with locoregional squamous cell larynx or hypopharynx carcinoma (n=44) and who we treated with surgery and/or radiation therapy.


METHODS
S-syndecan-1 and S-bFGF levels were measured with ELISA prior to, during, and following primary treatment of patients. Syndecan-1 expression was assessed from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tumour samples using immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
S-syndecan-1 levels tended to correlate positively with S-bFGF levels, and the pretreatment levels decreased from a median value of 75 to 58 ng/ml 3 months following treatment (P<0.0001). Patients treated with radiation therapy had a transient increase in S-syndecan-1 during the course of radiation therapy. Patients whose S-syndecan-1 decreased >or=10% from the pretreatment level had more favourable survival than those whose levels remained stable or increased (P=0.0069). Recurred cancer was associated with elevated S-syndecan-1 as compared to the levels measured 3 months following completion of primary therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that a part of S-syndecan-1 originates from the cancerous tissue, and that S-syndecan-1 levels generally decrease following successful cancer treatment.
Anttonen
A
A
Department of Oncology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, P.O. Box 180, 00029 Helsinki, Finland. anu.anttonen@greeni.fi
Leppä
S
S
Heikkilä
P
P
Grenman
R
R
Joensuu
H
H
D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007012:Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000097:blood*; D053668:Syndecan-1; D053667:Syndecans
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011509:Proteoglycans; C508241:SDC1 protein, human; D053668:Syndecan-1; D053667:Syndecans; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2