title: Centrosome abnormalities in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).
abstract: 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).
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Section of Phoniatrics and Pedaudiology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany. rudolf.reiter@uniklinik-ulm.de
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reiter
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gais
authors.forename: Miriam K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Steuer-Vogt
authors.forename: Anne-Laure
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Boulesteix
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Deutschle
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hampel
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wagenpfeil
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rauser
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Walch
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bink
authors.forename: Uta
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Jutting
authors.forename: Frauke
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Neff
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hofler
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pickhard
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D014404:Tubulin