title: Low blood levels of sTWEAK are related to locoregional failure in head and neck cancer.
abstract: Identifying serum pre-treatment molecular markers that can predict response to therapy is of great interest in head and neck oncology and is required to develop personalized treatments that maximize survival while minimizing morbidity. The main aim was to investigate the potential prognostic significance of tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK), and its receptors, fibroblast growth factor-inducible 14 (Fn14) and CD163, in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The study comprised 37 consecutive patients with pathologically confirmed, untreated HNSCC. Serum and tissue samples from these patients were available for study. We determined sTWEAK and sCD163 levels in serum from 37 HNSCC patients by ELISA. TWEAK, CD163, Fn14 and TNF-α gene expression were detected by real-time RT-PCR in 111 matched tissue samples (tumoral, adjacent and distal/normal mucosa). Our results showed a significant relationship between low sTWEAK levels and poor locoregional control of the disease. Kaplan-Meier curves indicated that the locoregional recurrence-free survival rate in patients with low sTWEAK circulating levels was significantly lower than in patients with high levels, and that high CD136/TWEAK expression ratio in tumors was also related to poor prognosis. sTWEAK pre-treatment serum levels might be used as prognostic non-invasive biomarkers for locoregional control in patients with HNSCC. Future investigations are warranted to determine the potential prognostic significance of this non-invasive biomarker in the rapid discrimination according to the locoregional control achieved in patients who received a non-surgical organ preservation treatment.
authors.affiliation: Otorhinolaryngology Head-Neck Surgery Department. Hospital Universitari de Tarragona Joan XXIII. IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Mallafré Guasch, 4, 43007, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain, fxavilesj@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Francesc Xavier
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Avilés-Jurado
authors.forename: Ximena
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Terra
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.forename: Joan Carles
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raventós
authors.forename: Elsa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maymó-Masip
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: León
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Serrano-Gonzalvo
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vendrell
authors.forename: Enric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Figuerola
authors.forename: Matilde R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Chacón
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood*; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic / Q000097:blood*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D000074049:Cytokine TWEAK; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000097:blood*; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D000074050:TWEAK Receptor; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*; D048069:Tumor Necrosis Factors / Q000097:blood*; D000098902:CD163 Antigen
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; D015415:Biomarkers; D000098902:CD163 Antigen; D000074049:Cytokine TWEAK; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; C000613297:TNFRSF12A protein, human; C109743:TNFSF12 protein, human; D000074050:TWEAK Receptor; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D048069:Tumor Necrosis Factors