Prognostic relevance of CD105-assessed microvessel density in laryngeal carcinoma

Abstract

Objective: To examine immunohistochemical expression of CD105 among patients with laryngeal cancer and investigate the prognostic significance of CD105-assessed microvessel density (MVD). Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: University hospital. Subjects and Methods: The study comprised 80 patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent complete excision. Clinicopathological data were collected retrospectively. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed with CD105 (endoglin) antibody. Positive-stained microvessels for CD105 were counted on hot spots of tumors at ×200 magnification. Results: Average CD105-assessed MVD in considered laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) was 12.9 (SD 3.84). High expression of CD105 correlated significantly with advanced T (tumor) classification (P = 0.008), advanced TNM (tumor, node, metastasis) stage (P = 0.001), tumor recurrence (P = 0.001), and age ≥65 years (P = 0.026). The multivariate logistic regression showed that a high CD105+ MVD (odds ratio [OR] 4.27; P = 0.019) and advanced TNM stage (OR 3.72; P = 0.047) were independent markers of tumor recurrence. High MVD, advanced clinical stage, the presence of lymph node metastasis at the time of diagnosis, and age <66 years were associated with worse disease-free survival. Cox regression analysis revealed that expression of CD105 (P = 0.016) and advanced clinical stage (P = 0.05) were the independent factors for disease-free survival. Conclusion: The present results suggest that MVD evaluation with CD105 is a promising prognostic factor for the outcome of patients with laryngeal SCC. CD105-assessed MVD could help to identify patients with more aggressive disease and increased risk of developing malignancy recurrence after treatment. © 2009 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.