The Expression Of Oct-4, CD44and Clinico-Pathologic Significance Of Oct-4~+/Cd44~+Cells In Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (LSCC)

ObjectiveThe surgical resection of human laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) were studied by double staining immunohistochemistry to detect the expression of nuclear transcription factor Oct-4and its relationship with CD44, and to explore the relationship with the cancer stem cells and its significance or roles played in tumor tissues.MethodsSixty-nine specimens of laryngeal surgical resection were selected from LSCC patients during2008to2012in Department of Pathology, Lanzhou General Hospital of Lanzhou Military Region. Another18cases of normal laryngeal mucosa tissues were selected as control. Using tissue microarray, immunohistochemistry staining and immunohistochemical double staining techniques, Oct-4and CD44expression and CD44+/Oct-4+cell’s distribution characteristics were observed, and the relationship between their pathological features, such as expression intensity, distribution, cell morphology and clinical parameters were analyzed to explore the clinicopathologic significance of CD44+/Oct-4+. Data were processed using SPSS17.0statistical package. Means were compared with two independent samples t-test, P<0.05was considered statistically significant.Results1. Oct-4were strongly expressed in the nucleus in LSCC and seminoma, cytoplasm expression does not appear.2. The positive cells rate of CD44in LSCC was63.62±13.61%, significantly higher than normal laryngeal mucosa, P<0.001. Oct-4positive cells rate in LSCC was50.44±10.84%, while it was not expressed in normal laryngeal mucosa tissues, P<0.001. In LSCC, the expression of Oct-4was significantly lower than CD44expression, P<0.001; the coexpression rate of these two molecules was5.07±2.90%.3. The CD44positive cells rate in poorly differentiated LSCC was64.01±11.64%, significantly higher than the well-differentiated group, P<0.05. The Oct-4positive rate in poorly differentiated LSCC was47.01±14.56%, significantly higher than those well-differentiated group, P<0.05. In the cancer stem cells, Oct-4+/CD44+double positive cells in poorly differentiated carcinoma group was also significantly higher than the well-differentiated carcinoma group, P<0.01, the lower the degree of differentiation, the higher the expression level of Oct-4.4. In LSCC poorly differentiated group, the expression of Oct-4and CD44showed no significant difference between different T stages, but Oct-4+/CD44+double positive rate elevated with T stage increasing, P<0.05. Oct-4expression levels in carcinoma with lymph node metastasis was significantly higher than those without lymph node metastasis (P<0.01).Conclusions1. Oct-4and CD44expression are associated with the malignant biological behavior of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma closely;2.Oct-4may be the valuable marker of tumor stem cells of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.