A Higher Angiogenin Expression is Associated With a Nonnuclear Maspin Location in Laryngeal Carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
In numerous malignancies, angiogenin (ANG) and Maspin are important proangiogenic and antiangiogenic regulators, respectively. The aim of this study was to identify potential relationships between the biological roles of these two proteins in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC).


METHODS
Immunohistochemical staining for ANG and Maspin was performed on specimens from 76 consecutive LSCC patients treated with surgery alone, considering the subcellular pattern of Maspin expression. Univariate and multivariate statistical models were used for prognostic purposes.


RESULTS
On univariate analysis, a different level of ANG expression was seen for patients stratified by subcellular Maspin expression pattern: the mean ANG expression was higher in cases with a nonnuclear MASPIN expression than in those with a nuclear pattern (P=0.002). Disease-free survival (DFS; in months) differed significantly when patients were stratified by N stage (P=0.01). Patients whose Maspin expression was nonnuclear (i.e., it was cytoplasmic or there was none) had a significantly higher recurrence rate (P<0.001), and shorter DFS (P=0.01) than those with a nuclear Maspin pattern. The mean ANG expression was significantly higher in cases with loco-regional recurrent disease (P=0.007); and patients with an ANG expression ≥5.0% had a significantly shorter DFS than those with an ANG expression <5.0% (P=0.007). On multivariate analysis, ANG expression ≥5.0% was a significant, independent, negative prognostic factor in terms of DFS (P=0.041).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results support the hypothesis that a higher ANG expression is associated with a nonnuclear Maspin expression pattern in patients with LSCC. Further studies are needed to clarify the relationship between the ANG and Maspin pathways, and their potential diagnostic and therapeutic role in LSCC.
Department of Neurosciences, Otolaryngology Section, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Andrea
A
Lovato
Department of Neurosciences, Otolaryngology Section, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Marco
M
Lionello
Department of Neurosciences, Otolaryngology Section, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Alberto
A
Staffieri
Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Stella
S
Blandamura
Department of Neurosciences, Otolaryngology Section, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Giulia
G
Tealdo
Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Luciano
L
Giacomelli
Department of Neurosciences, Otolaryngology Section, Treviso Hospital Branch, University of Padova, Treviso, Italy.
Claudia
C
Staffieri
Department of Neurosciences, Otolaryngology Section, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Gino
G
Marioni
Angiogenin; Intracellular Space; Laryngeal Neoplasms; Prognosis; SERPIN-B5