Relationship between transcriptional expression of pyruvate dehydrogenase and local control of disease in patients with oral cavity carcinomas

BACKGROUND

The altered cellular metabolism is one of the hallmarks of the cancer cells, favoring the process of aerobic glycolysis, known as the Warburg effect. The pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) complex is one of the elements involved in this metabolic process. The present study aims to evaluate the relationship between the transcriptional expression of PDHB and the risk of local recurrence in patients with oral cavity carcinomas.

METHODS

We determined the transcriptional expression of PDHB in biopsies from 41 patients with oral cavity carcinomas treated with surgery. The PDHB expression was categorized according to the local control of the disease with a recursive partitioning analysis.

RESULTS

During the follow-up period 13 patients (31.7%) had a local recurrence of the tumor. Considering local disease control as the dependent variable, the recursive partitioning analysis classified the patients in two categories according to high (n=16, 39.0%) or low (n=25, 61.0%) PDHB expression. Five-year local recurrence-free survival for patients with high PDHB expression was 84.8% (95% CI: 65.2-100%), and for patients with low expression it was 54.3% (95% CI: 34.3-74.2 %) (P=0.034). The results of multivariate analysis showed that patients with a low PDHB expression had a 4.90 times higher risk of local recurrence of the tumor (95% CI: 1.02-22.68, P=0.042).

CONCLUSION

There is a relationship between the metabolic characteristics of the tumor and its aggressiveness. According to our results, patients with oral cavity carcinomas with low transcriptional expression levels of PDHB have a significantly higher risk of local tumor recurrence.

Predictive capacity of IL-8 expression in head and neck squamous carcinoma patients treated with radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the relationship between the transcriptional expression of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and response to treatment with radiotherapy or chemo-radiotherapy in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Retrospective study from tumour biopsies obtained before a treatment with radiotherapy or chemo-radiotherapy in 87 patients with SCCHN. We had a sample of healthy mucosa in 35 cases. We determined the transcriptional expression of IL-8 with RT-PCR. The transcriptional expression of IL-8 was categorized according to the local control of the disease with a recursive partitioning analysis.

RESULTS

The transcriptional expression of IL-8 in tumour tissue was about 50 times higher than that in the samples of healthy mucosa. Patients with a high transcriptional expression of IL-8 (n = 56) had a 5-year local recurrence-free survival of 65.6%, and for patients with low expression (n = 31) it was 90.2% (P = 0.017). According to the results of a multivariate analysis, patients with high expression of IL-8 had a 4.1 higher risk of local recurrence of the tumour.

CONCLUSIONS

SCCHN have a significant increase in transcriptional expression of IL-8 in relation to non-tumour tissue. Tumours with high IL-8 expression have an increased risk of local recurrence after treatment with radiotherapy or chemo-radiotherapy.

The aspartate aminotransaminase/alanine aminotransaminase (De Ritis) ratio predicts sensitivity to radiotherapy in head and neck carcinoma patients

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between the aspartate aminotransaminase (AST) and alanine aminotransaminase (ALT) ratio and local disease control in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) treated with radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy.

METHODS

We calculated the pre-treatment AST/ALT ratio in 670 patients with HNSCC treated with radiotherapy (n = 309, 46.1%) or chemoradiotherapy (n = 361, 53.9%).

RESULTS

Five-year local recurrence-free survival for patients with a low AST/ALT ratio value (n = 529, 79.0%) was 75.0% (95% CI: 71.1-78.9), and for patients with a high value (n = 141, 21.0%) it was 53.4% (CI 95: 44.4-62.4) (p = 0.0001). In a multivariable analysis, patients with a high ratio had nearly twice the risk of having a local tumor recurrence (HR 1.97, 95% CI 1.42-2.75, p = 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

The AST/ALT ratio was independently associated with the risk of local recurrence in patients with HNSCC treated with radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy.

Consensus Document of the Spanish Society of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine and Coronary Units (SEMICYUC), the Spanish Society of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (SEORL-CCC) and the Spanish Society of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation (SEDAR) on Tracheotomy in Patients with COVID-19 Infection

The current COVID-19 pandemic has rendered up to 15% of patients under mechanical ventilation. Because the subsequent tracheotomy is a frequent procedure, the three societies mostly involved (SEMICYUC, SEDAR and SEORL-CCC) have setup a consensus paper that offers an overview about indications and contraindications of tracheotomy, be it by puncture or open, clarifying its respective advantages and enumerating the ideal conditions under which they should be performed, as well as the necessary steps. Regular and emergency situations are displayed together with the postoperative measures.

[Consensus document of the Spanish Society of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine and Coronary Units (SEMICYUC), the Spanish Society of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (SEORL-CCC) and the Spanish Society of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation (SEDAR) on tracheotomy in patients with COVID-19 infection]

The current COVID-19 pandemic has rendered up to 15% of patients under mechanical ventilation. Because the subsequent tracheotomy is a frequent procedure, the three societies mostly involved (SEMICYUC, SEDAR and SEORL-CCC) have setup a consensus paper that offers an overview about indications and contraindications of tracheotomy, be it by puncture or open, clarifying its respective advantages and enumerating the ideal conditions under which they should be performed, as well as the necessary steps. Regular and emergency situations are displayed together with the postoperative measures.

Predictive capacity of IL-8 expression in head and neck squamous carcinoma patients treated with radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the relationship between the transcriptional expression of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and response to treatment with radiotherapy or chemo-radiotherapy in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Retrospective study from tumour biopsies obtained before a treatment with radiotherapy or chemo-radiotherapy in 87 patients with SCCHN. We had a sample of healthy mucosa in 35 cases. We determined the transcriptional expression of IL-8 with RT-PCR. The transcriptional expression of IL-8 was categorized according to the local control of the disease with a recursive partitioning analysis.

RESULTS

The transcriptional expression of IL-8 in tumour tissue was about 50 times higher than that in the samples of healthy mucosa. Patients with a high transcriptional expression of IL-8 (n=56) had a 5-year local recurrence-free survival of 65.6%, and for patients with low expression (n=31) it was 90.2% (P=.017). According to the results of a multivariate analysis, patients with high expression of IL-8 had a 4.1 higher risk of local recurrence of the tumour.

CONCLUSIONS

SCCHN have a significant increase in transcriptional expression of IL-8 in relation to non-tumour tissue. Tumours with high IL-8 expression have an increased risk of local recurrence after treatment with radiotherapy or chemo-radiotherapy.

Interaction between head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells and fibroblasts in the biosynthesis of PGE2

Prostaglandin (PG)E(2) is relevant in tumor biology, and interactions between tumor and stroma cells dramatically influence tumor progression. We tested the hypothesis that cross-talk between head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells and fibroblasts could substantially enhance PGE(2) biosynthesis. We observed an enhanced production of PGE(2) in cocultures of HNSCC cell lines and fibroblasts, which was consistent with an upregulation of COX-2 and microsomal PGE-synthase-1 (mPGES-1) in fibroblasts. In cultured endothelial cells, medium from fibroblasts treated with tumor cell-conditioned medium induced in vitro angiogenesis, and in tumor cell induced migration and proliferation, these effects were sensitive to PGs inhibition. Proteomic analysis shows that tumor cells released IL-1, and tumor cell-induced COX-2 and mPGES-1 were suppressed by the IL-1-receptor antagonist. IL-1α levels were higher than those of IL-1β in the tumor cell-conditioning medium and in the secretion from samples obtained from 20 patients with HNSCC. Fractionation of tumor cell-conditioning media indicated that tumor cells secreted mature and unprocessed forms of IL-1. Our results support the concept that tumor-associated fibroblasts are a relevant source of PGE(2) in the tumor mass. Because mPGES-1 seems to be essential for a substantial biosynthesis of PGE(2), these findings also strengthen the concept that mPGES-1 may be \a target for therapeutic intervention in patients with HNSCC.