Clinicopathologic significance of CD105-assessed microvessel density in glottic laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

Objective Intratumoral microvessel density (MVD) determined with the use of antibodies to endoglin (CD105) is considered to be an important prognostic marker in a variety of malignancies. The purpose of this study has been to analyze the clinicopathologic significance of CD105-assessed MVD in SCCs primary localized in glottic region of larynx. Methods Surgical specimens from 40 patients with resected glottic squamous cell carcinomas were immunostained for CD105. CD105-assessed MVD was calculated at 400× magnification. Using the mean MVD as a cut-off, tumors were classified in the “high MVD” group and in the “low MVD” group. Clinicopathologic data were collected retrospectively. Results The mean MVD assessed by CD105 in considered glottic SCCs was 12.3 (standard deviation [SD] = 3.65). MVD varied among tissue samples from 5 to 21 (median 12.5). High MVD was significantly correlated with a more aggressive tumor phenotype, including T3–T4 tumor (Fisher exact test, P = 0.004) and advanced clinical stage (Fisher exact test P = 0.026). Kruskal–Wallis test identified significant relation between pT stages and CD105-assessed MVD ( P = 0.011). CD105-assessed MVD was significantly related to malignancy recurrence presence/absence (Mann–Whitney U-test P = 0.023). Logistic regression in multivariate modality showed that MVD (odds ratio [OR] 2.29, P = 0.033, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06–7.53) and advanced T category (T3–T4) (OR 4.11, P = 0.026, 95% CI 2.38–9.46) were significantly related to malignancy recurrence presence/absence. Cox regression analysis revealed that expression of CD105 ( P = 0.031) and N status ( P = 0.014) were the independent factors for disease-free survival. Conclusion High expression of CD105 correlated significantly with advanced T status and locoregional recurrence. The present preliminary results suggest that CD105-assessed MVD in primary glottic squamous cell carcinomas may identify patients at risk of disease recurrence.