title: Coxsackie adenovirus receptor expression in carcinomas of the head and neck.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Advanced stage head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) have a poor prognosis, this being particularly true for undifferentiated carcinomas. Adenoviral oncolytic therapy, whose success depends on the expression of the coxsackie adenovirus receptor (CAR) on tumour cells, might be an interesting therapeutic option. Thus CAR expression in HNSCC was evaluated in the current study.
  
  
  METHODS
  CAR expression in 41 cases of HNSCC was investigated immunohistochemically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CAR expression was very heterogeneous and was more abundant in well differentiated carcinomas than in less differentiated ones. Expression decreased from 72.4% in G1 tumours to 56% in G4 tumours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As CAR expression decreases during malignant progression in HNSCC, its down-regulation in advanced grades of HNSCC is potential indicator of tumour progression. With regard to oncolytic therapy, CAR expression analysis should be performed prior to adenoviral oncolytic treatment to stratify patients for treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Experimental Morphology, University Cancer Center Hamburg, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, D-20246 Hamburg, Germany. t.wunder@uke.de
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wunder
authors.forename: Udo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schumacher
authors.forename: Reinhard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Friedrich
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D062727:Coxsackie and Adenovirus Receptor-Like Membrane Protein; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011991:Receptors, Virus / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C568771:CLMP protein, human; D062727:Coxsackie and Adenovirus Receptor-Like Membrane Protein; D011991:Receptors, Virus