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Ludwig N, Yerneni SS, Harasymczuk M, Szczepański MJ, Głuszko A, Kukwa W, Jordan T, Spanier G, Taxis J, Spoerl S, Meier JK, Hinck CS, Campbell PG, Reichert TE, Hinck AP, Whiteside TL. TGFβ carrying exosomes in plasma: potential biomarkers of cancer progression in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Br J Cancer 2023; 128:1733-1741. [PMID: 36810911 PMCID: PMC10133391 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-023-02184-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Contributions of TGFβ to cancer progression are well documented. However, plasma TGFβ levels often do not correlate with clinicopathological data. We examine the role of TGFβ carried in exosomes isolated from murine and human plasma as a contributor to disease progression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS The 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4-NQO) mouse model was used to study changes in TGFβ expression levels during oral carcinogenesis. In human HNSCC, TGFβ and Smad3 protein expression levels and TGFB1 gene expression were determined. Soluble TGFβ levels were evaluated by ELISA and TGFβ bioassays. Exosomes were isolated from plasma using size exclusion chromatography, and TGFβ content was quantified using bioassays and bioprinted microarrays. RESULTS During 4-NQO carcinogenesis, TGFβ levels in tumour tissues and in serum increased as the tumour progressed. The TGFβ content of circulating exosomes also increased. In HNSCC patients, TGFβ, Smad3 and TGFB1 were overexpressed in tumour tissues and correlated with increased soluble TGFβ levels. Neither TGFβ expression in tumours nor levels of soluble TGFβ correlated with clinicopathological data or survival. Only exosome-associated TGFβ reflected tumour progression and correlated with tumour size. CONCLUSIONS Circulating TGFβ+ exosomes in the plasma of patients with HNSCC emerge as potential non-invasive biomarkers of disease progression in HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Ludwig
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Regensburg, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | | | - Mirosław J Szczepański
- Chair and Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Alicja Głuszko
- Chair and Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Wojciech Kukwa
- Department of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Theresa Jordan
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Regensburg, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Gerrit Spanier
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Regensburg, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Juergen Taxis
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Regensburg, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Steffen Spoerl
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Regensburg, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Johannes K Meier
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Regensburg, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Cynthia S Hinck
- Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Phil G Campbell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Engineering Research Accelerator, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Torsten E Reichert
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Regensburg, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Andrew P Hinck
- Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Theresa L Whiteside
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Departments of Immunology and Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
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