title: Biomarker quantification by multiplexed quantum dot technology for predicting lymph node metastasis and prognosis in head and neck cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To predict lymph node metastasis and prognosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The combination of membranous E-cadherin and membranous epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) quantified by QD technology with age, gender, and grade had greater predictive power than any of the single biomarkers or the two combined biomarkers quantified by conventional immunohistochemistry (IHC). The predictive power of this model was validated in another independent sample set; the predictive sensitivity of this model for LNM was 87.5%, with specificity up to 97.4%, and accuracy 92.9%. Furthermore, a higher membranous E-cadherin level was significantly correlated with better overall and disease-free survival (OS, DFS; P = 0.002, 0.033, respectively), while lower cytoplasmic vimentin and membranous EGFR levels were significantly correlated with better OS (P = 0.016 and 0.021, respectively). The combined biomarkers showed a stronger prognostic value for OS and DFS than any of the single biomarkers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multiplexed quantum dots (QDs) were used to simultaneously label E-cadherin, vimentin, and EGFR with β-actin as an internal control. Primary tissue samples from 97 HNSCC patients, 49 with and 48 without LNM were included in the training set. Levels of membranous E-cadherin, cytoplasmic vimentin, and membranous EGFR were quantified by InForm software and correlated with clinical characteristics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Multiplexed subcellular QD quantification of EGFR and E-cadherin is a potential strategy for the prediction of LNM, DFS, and OS of HNSCC patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.|Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Department of Pathology, Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Zhongliang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Guoqing
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Nabil F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Saba
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Shared Resource at Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Sungjin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Shared Resource at Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.|Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Emory University School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Zhengjia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Dongsheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Hongzheng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Caliper/Perkin Elmer Life Sciences and Technology, Hopkinton, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.affiliation: Caliper/Perkin Elmer Life Sciences and Technology, Hopkinton, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Clifford
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hoyt
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Dong M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Zhuo Georgia
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D045663:Quantum Dots; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015820:Cadherins; D014746:Vimentin; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors
keywords: E-cadherin; EGFR; head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; multiplexed quantum dot