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Prognostic significance of ALDH1A1-positive cancer stem cells in patients with locally advanced, metastasized head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

  • Original Article – Cancer Research
  • Published:
Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1A1) has now been recognized as a cancer stem(-like) cells (CSCs) marker in various tumors including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The objective of this study was to examine the expression of ALDH1A1 in patients with locally advanced, metastasized HNSCC and to determine its prognostic value.

Methods

Human papillomavirus genotypes and expression of ALDH1A1, Twist1, and p16 were analyzed in specimens of 81 patients with primary HNSCC and 49 lymph node metastases. Patient clinicopathologic and follow-up data were analyzed.

Results

Expression of ALDH1A1 was observed in 38 (46.9 %) of 81 primary tumors and 26 (53 %) of 49 lymph node metastases, respectively. Notably, the expression of ALDH1A1 was correlated significantly with poor tumor differentiation grade (p = 0.011). Interestingly, ALDH1A1 was observed co-expressed with Twist1 in primary tumor and lymph node metastases. Multivariate analysis showed that ALDH1A1 expression predicted poor prognosis in patients with HNSCC (p = 0.011) and the subgroup of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (p = 0.001). In the patient cohort with advanced, metastasized tumors, ALDH1A1 was identified as independent predictor of overall survival in both groups.

Conclusions

Our results provide evidence for the prognostic value of ALDH1A1 as a CSC marker in patients with locally advanced, metastasized HNSCC.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Ms. Erika Berg for her technical assistance.

Conflict of interest

We declare that we have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, 12200, Berlin, Germany

    Xu Qian, Chenming Ma, Annekatrin Coordes & Andreas E. Albers

  2. Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Department of Histology and Embryology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, People’s Republic of China

    Xu Qian

  3. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, University Hospital of Giessen, Giessen, Germany

    Steffen Wagner & Jens P. Klussmann

  4. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Köln, Cologne, Germany

    Julia Gekeler

  5. Institute of Pathology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany

    Michael Hummel

  6. Clinic for Gynecology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte and Benjamin Franklin, 12200, Berlin, Germany

    Andreas M. Kaufmann

Authors
  1. Xu Qian
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  2. Steffen Wagner
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  3. Chenming Ma
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  4. Annekatrin Coordes
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  5. Julia Gekeler
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  6. Jens P. Klussmann
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  7. Michael Hummel
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  8. Andreas M. Kaufmann
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  9. Andreas E. Albers
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Andreas M. Kaufmann or Andreas E. Albers.

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Qian, X., Wagner, S., Ma, C. et al. Prognostic significance of ALDH1A1-positive cancer stem cells in patients with locally advanced, metastasized head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 140, 1151–1158 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-014-1685-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-014-1685-4

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