CD24 and Oct4: Cancer stem markers expression correlates with histological subtyping of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

Background Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) encompasses a diverse range of tumors with varying degrees of differentiation. Within tumors, cancer stem cells (CSCs) are believed to play a crucial role in tumor initiation, progression, and resistance to treatment. This study aimed to explore the expression of two CSC markers i.e. CD24 and Oct4, in patients with HNSCC. Methods The study included 85 patients diagnosed with HNSCC. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate the expression of CD24 and Oct4 in tumor tissues obtained from patients with HNSCC. Staining intensity and the proportion of positive tumor cells were analyzed and compared across the various HNSCC grades and histological subtypes. Results The findings revealed that the mean immunoreactivity score (IRS) for CD24 was significantly higher in non-conventional HNSCC subtypes compared to conventional types (p = 0.019). Additionally, a significant statistical association was observed between the IRS status of CD24 and histological subtypes (p = 0.043). Other demographic, clinical, and histological parameters showed non-significant associations with staining intensity, proportion score (PC), IRS status, and mean IRS (all p values > 0.05). Conclusions These findings indicate that CD24 could potentially serve as a CSC marker for distinguishing between conventional and non-conventional histological types of HNSCC. This suggests that CD24 holds promise as a valuable tool in identifying specific HNSCC subtypes characterized by CSCs.