title: Langerhans cell number is a strong and independent prognostic factor for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas.
abstract: Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) exhibit great biological heterogeneity and relatively poor prognosis. Tobacco and alcohol consumption is involved in the cause of the majority of these cancers, but over the last several years, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection has increased specifically in oropharyngeal cancers and become an additional risk factor. Here, we evaluated the number of Langerhans cells (LCs) in HNSCC and reporting its prognostic power in comparison to other risk factors.
  
  
  
  Our clinical series was composed of 25 tumor-free peritumoral epithelium, 64 low-grade dysplasia, 54 high-grade dysplasia and 125 carcinoma samples. HPV was detected by E6/E7 qPCR and p16 immunohistochemistry. CD1a-positive LCs were counted in intra-tumoral and stromal compartments as well as lymph nodes. MIP-3α was assessed in carcinomas using immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  
  Univariate Cox regression analyses demonstrated that high LC number is associated with longer recurrence-free survival in both intra-tumoral and stromal compartments and longer overall survival in stromal compartment. Tobacco and alcohol habits, but not HPV status, are also correlated with poor prognoses in terms of recurrence. Multivariate analyses reported stromal LC number as a strong prognostic factor independent of tobacco, alcohol and HPV status. Moreover, LC number is higher in tumors and invaded lymph nodes than dysplastic lesions but it decreases in HPV-positive cancer patients. Further, LC number correlates with MIP-3α expression.
  
  
  
  These findings suggest that LC number is a significant and independent prognostic factor for HNSCC. LC infiltration is increased in cancer lesions but decrease with HPV infection.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Anatomy and Cellular Biology, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgium.
authors.forename: Nadège
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kindt
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Anatomy and Cellular Biology, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgium.
authors.forename: Géraldine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Descamps
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Anatomy and Cellular Biology, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgium.
authors.forename: Imelda
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Seminerio
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Anatomy and Cellular Biology, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgium.
authors.forename: Justine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bellier
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Anatomy and Cellular Biology, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jérôme R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Lechien
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, C.H.U. - SART TILMAN, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pottier
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomopathology, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Larsimont
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Anatomy and Cellular Biology, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgium; Laboratory of Oncology and Experimental Surgery, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Journé
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, C.H.U. - SART TILMAN, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Delvenne
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Anatomy and Cellular Biology, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgium; Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CHU Saint-Pierre, 1000 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: sven.saussez@umons.ac.be.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saussez
mesh_terms: D052685:Alphapapillomavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D016019:Survival Analysis
keywords: HNSCC; HPV; Langerhans cell; Multivariate analysis; Prognosis