title: Effect of neoadjuvant chemoradiation and postoperative radiotherapy on expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) in head and neck vessels.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Preoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer result in changes to the vessels that are used to construct microsurgical anastomoses. The aim of the study was to investigate quantitative changes and HSP70 expression of irradiated neck recipient vessels and transplant vessels used for microsurgical anastomoses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of 20 patients included in this study five patients received neoadjuvant chemoradiation, another five received conventional radiotherapy and 10 patients where treated without previous radiotherapy. During surgical procedure, vessel specimens where obtained by the surgeon. Immunhistochemical staining of HSP70 was performed and quantitative measurement and evaluation of HSP70 was carried out.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Conventional radiation and neoadjuvant chemoradiation revealed in a thickening of the intima layer of recipient vessels. A increased expression of HSP70 could be detected in the media layer of the recipient veins as well as in the transplant veins of patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation. Radiation and chemoradiation decreased the HSP70 expression of the intima layer in recipient arteries. Conventional radiation led to a decrease of HSP70 expression in the media layer of recipient arteries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results showed that anticancer drugs can lead to a thickening of the intima layer of transplant and recipient veins and also increase the HSP70 expression in the media layer of the recipient vessels. In contrast, conventional radiation decreased the HSP70 expression in the intima layer of arteries and the media layer of recipient arteries and veins. Comparing these results with wall thickness, it was concluded, that high levels of HSP70 may prevent the intima layer of arteries and the media layer of vein from thickening.
authors: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany. Tavassol.Frank@mh-hannover.de
authors: Frank
authors: F
authors: Tavassol
authors: Horst
authors: H
authors: Kokemüller
authors: Rüdiger
authors: R
authors: Zimmerer
authors: Nils-Claudius
authors: NC
authors: Gellrich
authors: André
authors: A
authors: Eckardt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D010802:Phylogeny; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000528:radiation effects; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000528:radiation effects; D014680:Veins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins