Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Status of Circulating Tumor Cells Is Associated With Tumor Relapse in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Anticancer Res. 2020 Jun;40(6):3559-3564. doi: 10.21873/anticanres.14345.

Abstract

Background/aim: We aimed to elucidate the clinical implication of the epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Patients and methods: CTCs isolated from 44 patients with non-recurrent/metastatic HNSCC and 42 with recurrent/metastatic (R/M) HNSCC were classified into four epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) statuses based on the expression of epithelial (keratin 19) and mesenchymal (vimentin) markers and the relationships between EMT status in CTCs and clinical factors were investigated.

Results: E+M- CTC phenotype was more frequent in patients without recurrence/metastasis (p=0.0468) and was also more frequent in those with a complete response (p=0.0346). The E+M+ phenotype constituted the major proportion of the CTCs detected in patients with R/M HNSCC (p=0.0374).

Conclusion: CTCs may play unique roles at various stages of metastasis through transitioning from epithelial to mesenchymal phenotypes.

Keywords: Epithelial–mesenchymal transition; circulating tumor cell; head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; metastasis; recurrence.

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition* / genetics
  • Female
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Humans
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Male
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
  • Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / pathology*
  • Prognosis
  • Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck / genetics*
  • Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck / mortality
  • Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck / pathology*

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor