title: High relative density of lymphatic vessels predicts poor survival in tongue squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: Tongue cancer has a poor prognosis due to its early metastasis via lymphatic vessels. The present study aimed at evaluating lymphatic vessel density, relative density of lymphatic vessel, and diameter of lymphatic vessels and its predictive role in tongue cancer. Paraffin-embedded tongue and lymph node specimens (n = 113) were stained immunohistochemically with a polyclonal antibody von Willebrand factor, recognizing blood and lymphatic endothelium and with a monoclonal antibody podoplanin, recognizing lymphatic endothelium. The relative density of lymphatic vessels was counted by dividing the mean number of lymphatic vessels per microscopic field (podoplanin) by the mean number of all vessels (vWf) per microscopic field. The high relative density of lymphatic vessels (≥80 %) was associated with poor prognosis in tongue cancer. The relative density of lymphatic vessels predicted poor prognosis in the group of primary tumor size T1-T2 and in the group of non-metastatic cancer. The lymphatic vessel density and diameter of lymphatic vessels were not associated with tongue cancer survival. The relative density of lymphatic vessels might have clinically relevant prognostic impact. Further studies with increased number of patients are needed.
authors.affiliation: Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, PO Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland. miia.seppala@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Miia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seppälä
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Tampere, Biokatu 10, 33520, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Konsta
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pohjola
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tampere University Hospital, Teiskontie 35, PO Box 2000, 33521, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Jussi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Laranne
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tampere University Hospital, Teiskontie 35, PO Box 2000, 33521, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rautiainen
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Medisiinarinkatu 3, 33520, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Heini
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huhtala
authors.affiliation: Transplantation Laboratory, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, PO Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.|HUSLAB, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Risto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Renkonen
authors.affiliation: Transplantation Laboratory, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, PO Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.|Cardiac Surgery, Heart and Lung Center, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lemström
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Tampere, Biokatu 10, 33520, Tampere, Finland.|Fimlab Laboratories Ltd, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Paavonen
authors.affiliation: Transplantation Laboratory, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, PO Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.|Department of Allergy, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Sanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Toppila-Salmi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000098:blood supply / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D042601:Lymphatic Vessels / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014059:Tongue / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000032:analysis; D000098853:Podoplanin
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D014841:von Willebrand Factor; C117468:PDPN protein, human; D000098853:Podoplanin; C029417:Von Willebrand antigen
keywords: Head and neck cancer; Immunohistochemistry; Lymphatic vessels; Survival; Tongue cancer