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Prognostic significance of prostaglandin E 2 production by mononuclear cells and tumor cells in squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck
Author(s) -
Milanovich Michelle R.,
Snyderman Carl H.,
Wagner Robin,
Johnson Jonas T.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1288/00005537-199501000-00014
Subject(s) - peripheral blood mononuclear cell , prostaglandin e , lymph , lymph node , medicine , circulating tumor cell , radioimmunoassay , pathology , prostaglandin e2 , primary tumor , metastasis , cancer research , cancer , chemistry , in vitro , biochemistry
Prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) has been implicated as a cause of immunosuppression in patients with head and neck cancer. To determine the relative contribution of tumor cells and mononuclear cells to PGE 2 levels in vivo , tumor cells and tumor‐infiltrating mononuclear cells (TIMC) were isolated from fresh tumor biopsy specimens of 23 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) by using enzymatic digestion and differential gradient centrifugation. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and lymph node mononuclear cells (LNMC) from metastatic and nonmetastatic lymph nodes were also isolated. Cell fractions were cultured for 24 hours, and PGE 2 levels of supernatant were determined by radioimmunoassay. PGE 2 production by LNMC was significantly decreased compared to tumor cells, TIMC, and PBMC ( P =.0002). LNMC from metastatic lymph nodes produced significantly higher levels of PGE 2 ( P =.02) compared to nonmetastatic lymph nodes. Although T stage was not correlated with PGE 2 production by TIMC or tumor cells, advanced N stage (N1–3) was associated with decreased PGE 2 production by TIMC ( P =.006). These results suggest that both tumor cells and TIMC are sources of PGE 2 in tumor tissues of patients with SCCHN and that decreased PGE 2 production by host inflammatory cells may have clinical significance in the development of cervical metastases.