title: Significance of endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) for tumorigenesis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC): possible marker of tumor progression and neovascularization?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Angiogenesis and neovascularisation plays a crucial role for tumorigenesis and tumor progression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The aim of our study was to investigate the neovascularization capacity by endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) in tumor patient as a possible predictor for tumor progression and tumor stage.
  
  
  METHODS
  Therefore, we investigated the cell number and biologic activity by cell migration and colony-forming ability of EPC. Cells were isolated from the peripheral venous blood of 79 patients who suffer HNSCC in different stages of disease. Thirty-three healthy individuals served as the control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significantly increased biological activities were reflected by expression of the migration rate (1027 ± 1510) in comparison to the control group (632 ± 269) and the clonal potency measured by colony-forming unit (CFU) (tumor patients (19.7 ± 12.3) vs. control group (10.84 ± 4.8)). To determine whether or not EPC number can be used as a valid prognostic marker for clinical outcome of tumor patients, we furthermore compared a "high EPC-number-subgroup" (HI) with a "low EPC-number-subgroup" (LO) in a Kaplan-Meier survival curve. The HI-subgroup shows herein clearly a worse outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate a possible pathway for EPC to play a critical role in the vasculogenesis and consequently in the progression of HNSCC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings could serve as possible predictors for the neovascularisation potential in HNSCC tumor patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Mainz, Augustusplatz 2, 55131, Mainz, Germany. ziebart@mkg.klinik.uni-mainz.de.|Department of Oral Surgery, Oral Radiology and Oral Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. ziebart@mkg.klinik.uni-mainz.de.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ziebart
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Mainz, Augustusplatz 2, 55131, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blatt
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Mainz, Augustusplatz 2, 55131, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Günther
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Völxen
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Mainz, Augustusplatz 2, 55131, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pabst
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Mainz, Augustusplatz 2, 55131, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Keyvan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sagheb
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery, Oral Radiology and Oral Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kühl
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery, Oral Radiology and Oral Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lambrecht
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D063646:Carcinogenesis / Q000473:pathology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002465:Cell Movement; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D066026:Endothelial Progenitor Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D013234:Stem Cells
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor
keywords: Endothelial progenitor cell; Neovascularization; Oral cancer; Tumorigenesis