Open Access
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Laryngorhinootologie 2022; 101(S 02): S192
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1746581
Abstracts | DGHNOKHC
Head-Neck-Oncology

Interplay of oncogenic growth factor receptors and tumor-infiltrating immune cells in head and neck cancer

Authors

  • Lara Fehr

    1   Universitätsklinikum Essen, Klinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-HeilkundeEssen

  • Laura Kahl

    1   Universitätsklinikum Essen, Klinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-HeilkundeEssen

  • Mathias Schmidt

    1   Universitätsklinikum Essen, Klinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-HeilkundeEssen

  • Stephan Lang

    1   Universitätsklinikum Essen, Klinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-HeilkundeEssen

  • Stefanie Zimmer

    2   Universitätsmedizin Mainz, Institut für Allgemeine Pathologie, Mainz

  • Julian Künzel

    3   Universitätsklinikum Regensburg, Klinik und Poliklinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Regensburg

  • Sven Brandau

    1   Universitätsklinikum Essen, Klinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-HeilkundeEssen

  • Eric Deuss

    1   Universitätsklinikum Essen, Klinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-HeilkundeEssen
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Introduction Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are a heterogeneous group of malignant tumors mainly related to HPV infections, tobacco and alcohol consumption. These factors alter the genomic profile of HNSCC resulting in a modulation of cellular signaling pathways and tumor microenvironment. HNSCC show a strong expression of different growth factor receptors (GFR) that may influence the tumor immunobiology and inflammatory infiltrate.

Materials & methods This study is aiming to elucidate the prognostic value of a potential interconnection of tumor-infiltrating immune cells with the expression of GFRs in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). The inflammatory infiltrate of tumor and stroma regions was analyzed separately. Therefore, 80 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded HNSCC samples were stained via multiplex immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry to visualize the immune infiltration of neutrophils, macrophages and T-cells as well as the expression of the GFR`s EGFR, Her2, Her3, Her4 and c-Met in primary OPSCC.

Results A higher density of tumor-infiltrating neutrophils (TAN) in the tumor core region was strongly correlated with poor survival and lower cetuximab treatment response rates, even though stromal regions of OPSCC showed a stronger infiltration with immune cells compared to tumor core regions. In contrast, densities of macrophages and T-cells showed no association with patients’ survival rates. High expression of EGFR correlated significantly with higher neutrophil densities in the tumor cores, but not with T-cells nor macrophages densities.

Conclusion EGFR expression could have an impact on neutrophil recruitment with consequences for treatment response, tumor progression and disease outcome in primary OPSCC.


Conflict of Interest

The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.

Publication History

Article published online:
24 May 2022

© 2022. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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