Plasma osteopontin levels in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing chemoradiotherapy.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the prognostic role of plasma levels of osteopontin (OPN), a phosphoglycoprotein with adhesive properties, in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) undergoing concomitant chemoradiotherapy. Previous studies have proposed OPN level as a prognostic factor in several cancers.


METHODS
Prospective analysis of plasma OPN levels, before and within 12 weeks after treatment, in a cohort of patients with HNSCC undergoing platinum-based chemoradiotherapy at our center.


METHODS
Academic center.


METHODS
Sixty-nine patients diagnosed as having HNSCC.


METHODS
Plasma levels of OPN were assessed before the start and after the conclusion of chemoradiotherapy by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbency assay kit. Chemoradiotherapy was exclusive (n = 52) or adjuvant to surgery (n = 17).


METHODS
Levels of OPN were correlated with clinicopathological characteristics, response to treatment, and overall survival.


RESULTS
Pretreatment plasma OPN levels were higher in patients with advanced T and N stages compared with patients with early stages (P = .009 and .07, respectively). Mean (SD) plasma levels of OPN measured before (102.5 [68.1] ng/mL) and after (104.0 [53.6] ng/mL) treatment did not differ (P = .18, paired t test). Pretreatment and posttreatment levels of OPN were lower in patients who achieved a complete response compared with those who failed to respond (75.0 [41.5] vs 131.2 [82.9] ng/mL [P = .005] and 86.8 [40.5] vs 141.6 [58.4] ng/mL [P = .004], respectively). Patients with high pretreatment OPN levels (>82.1 ng/mL) had shorter survival time (P < .001). Posttreatment OPN levels were marginally (P = .10) associated with survival time in univariate analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with HNSCC undergoing chemoradiotherapy, a low pretreatment plasma OPN level is associated with treatment response and better survival. Modulation of OPN levels by chemoradiotherapy may also be associated with outcome. Further studies with serial measurement of OPN levels are warranted in these patients.
Snitcovsky
Igor
I
Departamento de Radiologia e Cancerologia, Disciplina de Oncologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Leitão
Glauber Moreira
GM
Pasini
Fátima Solange
FS
Brunialti
Karen Cristina Sant'Anna
KC
Mangone
Flavia Regina Rotea
FR
Maistro
Simone
S
de Castro
Gilberto
G
Villar
Rosangela Correia
RC
Federico
Miriam Hatsue Honda
MH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053495:Osteopontin / Q000097:blood*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D053495:Osteopontin