Clin Exp Otorhinolaryngol.  2015 Sep;8(3):275-280. 10.3342/ceo.2015.8.3.275.

Prognostic Significance of Serine-Phosphorylated STAT3 Expression in pT1-T2 Oral Tongue Carcinoma

• Fasanaro E
• Staffieri
• Cappellesso R
• Marino F
• Ottaviano
• Val M
• Giacomelli L
• de Filippis C
• Stellini E
• Staffieri
• Marioni G

• KMID: 2117524
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3342/ceo.2015.8.3.275

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Phosphorylated (activated) STAT3 (pSTAT3) is a regulator of numerous genes that play an essential part in the onset, development and progression of cancer; it is involved in cell proliferation and preventing apoptosis, and in invasion, angiogenesis, and the evasion of immune surveillance. This study aimed mainly to investigate the potential prognostic role of pSTAT3 expression in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
METHODS
Phospho-ser727 STAT3 immunolabeling was correlated with prognostic parameters in 34 consecutive cases of pT1-T2 tongue SCCs undergoing primary surgery. Computer-based image analysis was used for the immunohistochemical reactions analysis.
RESULTS
Statistical analysis showed a difference in disease-free survival (DFS) when patients were stratified by pN status (P=0.031). Most tumors had variable degrees (mean+/-SD, 80.7%+/-23.8%) of intense nuclear immunoreaction to pSTAT3. Our findings rule out any significant association of serine-phosphorylated nuclear STAT3 expression with tumor stage, grade, lymph node metastasis, recurrence rate, or DFS.
CONCLUSION
In spite of these results, it is worth further investigating the role of pSTAT3 (serine- and tyrosine-pSTAT3) in oral tongue SCC in larger series because preclinical models are increasingly showing that several anticancer strategies would benefit from STAT3 phosphorylation inhibition.

Keyword

Tongue Neoplasms; STAT3 Transcription Factor; Lymph Nodes; Prognosis

MeSH Terms

Apoptosis
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
Cell Proliferation
Disease-Free Survival
Humans
Lymph Nodes
Neoplasm Metastasis
Phosphorylation
Prognosis
Recurrence
STAT3 Transcription Factor
Tongue Neoplasms
Tongue*
STAT3 Transcription Factor

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Disease-free survival in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma patients stratified by pN-status (pN0 vs. pN+).

• 

  Fig. 2 Representative images of the series considered. (A) The micrograph shows normal tongue epithelium (asterisk) adjacent to squamous cell carcinoma (double asterisk) (H&E). (B) In this moderately-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, neoplastic cells infiltrating the muscle are arranged in large anastomosing areas and form keratin pearls (H&E). (C) A squamous cell carcinoma showing a strong, diffuse nuclear immunoreaction to pSTAT3 (pSTAT3 immunohistochemistry). (D) This micrograph shows the absence of pSTAT3 expression in the well-differentiated tumor areas (asterisk), and strong, diffuse immunolabeling in the less differentiated areas (double asterisk) (pSTAT3 immunohistochemistry).

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