title: Gene expression profiling of circulating natural killer cells in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Natural killer (NK) cells are a major player of the innate immune system. Besides known risk factors for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), impaired immune surveillance may as well lead to tumor manifestation.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the present study, microarrays technologies were employed in order to perform gene expression profiling of NK cells in HNSCC patients. Differentially expressed genes have been detected in a comparative setting consisting of non-treated HNSCC patients, treated recurrence-free HNSCC patients and healthy control subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cytokine receptors such as CCR7, IL-7R, and CXCR3 were down-regulated in non-treated HNSCC patients compared to healthy subjects, indicating impaired immune surveillance. In treated patients, up-regulated genes such as receptors for Fc fragments of specific antibodies, or ficolin-1 can be withheld as an immunological response to tumor manifestation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides insights into gene expression changes in NK cells of HNSCC dependent upon clinical status and introduces several candidate genes suitable for further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, D-20246 Hamburg, Germany. ar.boettcher@uke.de.
authors.forename: Arne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Böttcher
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ostwald
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Koczan
authors.forename: Rainald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Knecht
authors.forename: Burkhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kramp
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dommerich
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck
keywords: HNSCC; Natural killer cells; cytokine receptors; gene expression; gene microarrays; immune surveillance