Background: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is primarily a locoregional disease in which the cervical lymph nodes are the chief site of metastasis. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between lymphangiogenesis and clinicopathological aspects of HNSCC and its metastasis.
Methods: Fifty-two patients with HNSCC and metastatic lymph nodes from 21 of these subjects were analyzed by immunohistochemistry.
Results: The HNSCC samples were predominantly negative for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C, VEGF-D, and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)3. There was an association between the density of lymph vessels (measured by D2-40 staining) in the lymph nodes and advanced-stage tumors. There was no link between the expression of these proteins and survival rates.
Conclusion: Although lymphatic spread is a significant event in the progression of HNSCC, the expression of VEGF-C, VEGF-D, and VEGFR3 does not correlate with clinicopathological characteristics, suggesting that other signaling pathways mediate lymphangiogenesis in HNSCC.
Keywords: D2-40; head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; immunohistochemistry; lymphangiogenesis; vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family.
© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.