Publication
Title
Expression and prognostic value of glucose transporters and hexokinases in tonsil and mobile tongue squamous cell carcinoma
Author
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the expression pattern and prognostic value of the high affinity glucose transporters GLUT-1, 3, 4, 8 and 9, SGLT-1 and of hexokinases (HK) I, II and III in squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil and mobile tongue (TTSCC) by means of immunohistochemistry. Seventy-one consecutive patients suffering from TTSCC were included. The intensity and amount of positive tumour cells in the immunoreaction (histology score (H-score)) for GLUT-1, 3, 4, 8 and 9 as well as for HK-I, II and III were assessed independently by two experienced observers, blinded to the clinical results. H-scores as well as clinical variables were related to patient outcome. Median follow-up time was 49 months (range 1-123 months). Mean H-scores for GLUT expression in decreasing order of magnitude were respectively 10.99 for GLUT-1 (sd 3.9), 5.7 for GLUT-8 (sd 4.0), 5.4 for GLUT-3 (sd 3.7), 1.0 for GLUT-4 (sd 2.0), 1.1 (sd 1.3) for SGLT-1, and 0.4 for GLUT-9 (sd 0.6); GLUT-1 > GLUT-8 = GLUT-3 > GLUT-4 = GLUT-9 = SGLT-1 (with > meaning significantly (p<0.05 on ANOVA + posthoc Bonferroni correction) higher than and =, meaning not significantly different from). Mean H-scores for hexokinase expression were respectively 5.8 for HK-I (sd 3.5), 4.6 for HK-II (sd 3.0) and 2.0 for HK-III (sd 2.0); HK-I > HK-II > HK-III. Finally high H-scores for GLUT-4 were favourably related to disease-free and overall survival on multivariate analysis. To conclude, TTSCC expresses a wide variety of glucose transporter systems and hexokinase enzymes with the housekeeping GLUT-1 and HK-I being the most intensely expressed. GLUT-4 over-expression appears to confer a favourable prognosis in squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil and mobile tongue. Additional studies confirming this finding in larger cohorts of patients are mandatory.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Histology and histopathology. - Murcia, 1986, currens
Publication
Murcia : 2011
ISSN
0213-3911 [print]
1699-5848 [online]
Volume/pages
26 :9 (2011) , p. 116-51172
ISI
000292683600007
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 16.11.2011
Last edited 22.01.2023
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