title: Smooth muscle actin-expressing stromal fibroblasts in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: increased expression of galectin-1 and induction of poor prognosis factors.
abstract: Tumor stroma is an active part influencing the biological properties of malignancies via molecular cross-talk. Cancer-associated fibroblasts play a significant role in this interaction. These cells frequently express smooth muscle actin and can be classified as myofibroblasts. The adhesion/growth-regulatory lectin galectin-1 is an effector for their generation. In our study, we set the presence of smooth muscle actin-positive cancer-associated fibroblasts in relation to this endogenous lectin and an in vivo competitor (galectin-3). In squamous cell carcinomas of head and neck, upregulation of galectin-1 presence was highly significantly correlated to presence of smooth muscle actin-positive cancer-associated fibroblasts in the tumor (p = 4 × 10(-8)). To pinpoint further correlations on the molecular level, we applied microarray analyses to the transcription profiles of the corresponding tumors. Significant correlations of several transcripts were detected with the protein level of galectin-1 in the cancer-associated fibroblasts. These activated genes (MAP3K2, TRIM23, PTPLAD1, FUSIP1, SLC25A40 and SPIN1) are related to known squamous-cell-carcinoma poor-prognosis factors, NF-κB upregulation and splicing downregulation. These results provide new insights into the significance of presence of myofibroblasts in squamous cell carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jaroslav
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Valach
authors.forename: Zdeněk
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fík
authors.forename: Hynek
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Strnad
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chovanec
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Plzák
authors.forename: Zdeněk
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cada
authors.forename: Pavol
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Szabo
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sáchová
authors.forename: Miluše
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hroudová
authors.forename: Markéta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Urbanová
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Steffl
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pačes
authors.forename: Jiří
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mazánek
authors.forename: Cestmír
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vlček
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Betka
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaltner
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: André
authors.forename: Hans-Joachim
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Gabius
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kodet
authors.forename: Karel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Smetana
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gál
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kolář
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D037483:Galectin 1 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D058628:Myofibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011379:Prognosis; D012326:RNA Splicing; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D037483:Galectin 1; D037502:Galectin 3; D016328:NF-kappa B