Centrosome abnormalities in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).
CONCLUSIONS
Numerical and structural centrosome abnormalities play a critical role in the tumor progression of in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and may provide useful information as a prognostic factor for these patients.


OBJECTIVE
Centrosome alterations are often linked with aneuploidy, cell transformation, and tumor progress. We investigated centrosome abnormalities in HNSCC and correlated these variables to clinicopathological parameters and clinical follow up data of the patients.


METHODS
Retrospective analysis of numerical and structural alterations of centrosomes in tumor tissues and corresponding normal epithelium (n=50 and 31, respectively). Immunohistochemistry was performed using an anti-gamma-tubulin antibody. Image acquisition was done by an Orthoplan microscope, centrosomes were segmented interactively, and area as well as mean optical density was measured. Aneuploidy was evaluated by fluorescence in situ hybridization in a subset of cases (n=29).


RESULTS
Numerical and structural centrosome abnormalities differed significantly between normal squamous epithelium and tumor cells (both P<0.0001). Especially numerical centrosome abnormalities were significantly associated with T category and tumor stage (both P<0.0001) and the occurrence of distant metastasis (P=0.002 and P=0.019, respectively). Numerical centrosome abnormalities correlated also with disease free survival of the patients (P=0.032) as well as shorter overall survival (P=0.003).
Reiter
Rudolf
R
Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Section of Phoniatrics and Pedaudiology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany. rudolf.reiter@uniklinik-ulm.de
Gais
Peter
P
Steuer-Vogt
Miriam K
MK
Boulesteix
Anne-Laure
AL
Deutschle
Tom
T
Hampel
Regina
R
Wagenpfeil
Stefan
S
Rauser
Sandra
S
Walch
Axel
A
Bink
Karin
K
Jutting
Uta
U
Neff
Frauke
F
Arnold
Wolfgang
W
Hofler
Heinz
H
Pickhard
Anja
A
D000328:Adult; D000782:Aneuploidy; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000401:mortality / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018385:Centrosome / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010039:Otorhinolaryngologic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014404:Tubulin / Q000032:analysis
D014404:Tubulin