Co-expression of Bmi-1 and podoplanin predicts overall survival in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck treated with radio(chemo)therapy.
OBJECTIVE
This study was conducted to determine the expression of Bmi-1 and podoplanin in healthy oral mucosa and in untreated tumor tissues samples of patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck. All patients were treated by primary radio(chemo)therapy.


METHODS
The expression of Bmi-1 and podoplanin was immunohistochemically evaluated in 12 normal oral mucosa and 63 tumor specimens and correlated with patients' clinical data.


RESULTS
In healthy mucosa expression of Bmi-1 and podoplanin was restricted to the basal cell layer. Expression of both proteins was found in 79% and 86% of our tumor samples, respectively. In 17 and 8 samples, Bmi-1 and podoplanin were co-expressed at the invasive border or diffuse in the bulk of the tumor, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that the co-expression of Bmi-1 and podoplanin correlated to decreased overall survival (p = 0.044). Moreover, multivariate testing identified high expression of podoplanin (p = 0.044), co-expression of Bmi-1 and podoplanin (p = 0.007) and lack of response to therapy (p < 0.0001) as predictors of shortened overall survival in patients treated with primary radio(chemo)therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
Bmi-1 and podoplanin are expressed at the invasive front of squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck. Co-expression of Bmi-1 and podoplanin predicts significantly overall survival of patients treated with primary radio(chemo)therapy.
Vormittag
Laurenz
L
Department of Internal Medicine I, Clinical Division of Oncology, Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Thurnher
Dietmar
D
Geleff
Silvana
S
Pammer
Johannes
J
Heiduschka
Gregor
G
Brunner
Markus
M
Grasl
Matthaeus Ch
MCh
Erovic
Boban M
BM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D063150:Polycomb Repressive Complex 1; D011379:Prognosis; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D000098853:Podoplanin
D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D063150:Polycomb Repressive Complex 1; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C069077:BMI1 protein, human; C117468:PDPN protein, human; D000098853:Podoplanin