Cancers, Vol. 13, Pages 5221: Comprehensive Analysis of VEGFR2 Expression in HPV-Positive and -Negative OPSCC Reveals Differing VEGFR2 Expression Patterns

Cancers, Vol. 13, Pages 5221: Comprehensive Analysis of VEGFR2 Expression in HPV-Positive and -Negative OPSCC Reveals Differing VEGFR2 Expression Patterns Cancers doi: 10.3390/cancers13205221 Authors: Senem Uzun Yüksel Korkmaz Nora Wuerdemann Christoph Arolt Behrus Puladi Oliver G. Siefer Hanife G. Dönmez Martin Hufbauer Baki Akgül Jens P. Klussmann Christian U. Huebbers VEGF signaling regulated by the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) plays a decisive role in tumor angiogenesis, initiation and progression in several tumors including HNSCC. However, the impact of HPV-status on the expression of VEGFR2 in OPSCC has not yet been investigated, although HPV oncoproteins E6 and E7 induce VEGF-expression. In a series of 56 OPSCC with known HPV-status, VEGFR2 expression patterns were analyzed both in blood vessels from tumor-free and tumor-containing regions and within tumor cells by immunohistochemistry using densitometry. Differences in subcellular colocalization of VEGFR2 with endothelial, tumor and stem cell markers were determined by double-immunofluorescence imaging. Immunohistochemical results were correlated with clinicopathological data. HPV-infection induces significant downregulation of VEGFR2 in cancer cells compared to HPV-negative tumor cells (p = 0.012). However, with respect to blood vessel supply, the intensity of VEGFR2 staining differed only in HPV-positive OPSCC and was upregulated in the blood vessels of tumor-...
Source: Cancers - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Article Source Type: research