Aim of the studyInactivation of the tumor suppressor E-cadherin (CDH1) and its decreased expression is an important occurrence during carcinogenesis. Nevertheless, the relationship of CDH1 expression and the promoter methylation with laryngeal cancer cell aggressiveness is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the gene and protein E-cadherin expression and the DNA methylation levels and to describe the correlations with morphological features in squamous cell laryngeal cancer.Material and methodsThe authors studied E-cadherin and the DNA methylation level in 86 cases to gain a further understanding of the clinicopathologic significance of analyzed parameters. The pathological evaluation included pTNM classification and the tumor front grading (TFG) criteria. Quantitative analysis of the amplified product in real time (qRT-PCR) for estimation of CDH1 mRNA was used. The methylation status was investigated by using methyl-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP). The level of CDH1 protein expression by Western blot was determined.ResultsDownregulation of E-cadherin was found to be related to promoter methylation (p < 0.001). In tumors with the highest invasiveness according to TFG criteria the lowest E-cadherin gene and protein level in the study group was observed (p = 0.046 and p = 0.0002, respectively). In SCLC with muscle and cartilage invasion and disperse infiltration the lowest CDH1 gene and protein expression was noted (p = 0.0003 and p = 0.003 for deep invasion, p = 0.033 and p = 0.003 for multifocal infiltration, respectively).ConclusionsThe current findings suggest an association of E-cadherin tumor expression with progression of laryngeal cancer. CDH1 gene level may be an auxiliary molecular marker for advanced cases of laryngeal carcinoma; however, further studies are necessary.

Inflammation of the paranasal sinuses is a common condition that affects the upper respiratory tract. The pathomechanism and course of sinusitis are multifaceted, depending on the etiological factors, duration of the disease, anatomical abnormalities, and additional conditions exacerbating the inflammation of the nasal mucosa and paranasal sinuses. The gold standard of diagnostic imaging is computed tomography (CT), performed in particular cases. An auxiliary examination is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for soft tissue imaging when there is a suspicion of a neoplastic process. The treatment of patients with rhinosinusitis is very complex and long-lasting, associated with the use of nasal or systemic corticosteroids, irrigation with physiological saline, as well as antibiotic therapy, antihistamines or herbal supplements. The treatment is selected individually for the patient's condition or the sinus phenotype, and in exceptional cases, surgical intervention is undertaken. Work is continuing on genetic, molecular and immunological research to search for new and effective methods of treatment of rhinosinusitis.

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4, CD152) and Foxp3 (forkhead box P3) are receptors present on T cells which play a critical role in the down-regulation of antigen-activated immune responses. To evaluate the potential influences of CTLA-4 and Foxp3 on cancer invasiveness, a case-control study was conducted in 86 patients treated for squamous cell laryngeal carcinoma. The abundance of CTLA-4 and Foxp3 gene transcripts in the purified peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was determined. The analysis of proteins by Western blot was performed. The relationships between CTLA-4 and Foxp3 gene and protein expression as well as the aggressiveness of tumor determined on pT, type and depth of invasion were investigated. Our work revealed a significant dependence of mRNA CTLA-4 on tumor front grading (TFG) total score (p = 0.04) as well as CTLA-4 protein expression on pT (p = = 0.03) and type of invasion (p = 0.03). Advanced pT3-pT4 tumors with diffuse infiltration and > 14 TFG points were characterized by higher average values of CTLA-4 protein in PBMCs. Our data also demonstrated significant differences between Foxp3 protein levels in relation to pT (p = 0.04), depth of invasion (p = = 0.02) and type of invasion (p = 0.03). In tumors with the highest invasiveness identified by the pT3-pT4 status, deep invasion with involvement of cartilage and diffuse infiltration, the highest Foxp3 protein level was observed. In conclusion, these results suggest an impact of CTLA-4 and Foxp3 in determining proliferative and aggressive potential of laryngeal carcinoma, highlighting the significance of CTLA-4 and Foxp3 as potential predictive indicators.

The study pointed out the direction for further research to find unambiguous indicators for estimation of tumor invasiveness and the possibility of practical use of HIF-1a and COX-2 mRNA and protein level assessment as important methods for determining the advancement of clinical and morphological changes in laryngeal cancer, thereby selecting an appropriate model of treatment.

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The study results indicate the important role of immune cell activity as indicators of advancement of clinical and morphological changes in squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx.

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