Perioperative changes in osteopontin and TGFβ1 plasma levels and their prognostic impact for radiotherapy in head and neck cancer

Abstract

BackgroundIn head and neck cancer little is known about the kinetics of osteopontin (OPN) expression after tumor resection. In this study we evaluated the time course of OPN plasma levels before and after surgery.MethodsBetween 2011 and 2013 41 consecutive head and neck cancer patients were enrolled in a prospective study (group A). At different time points plasma samples were collected: T0) before, T1) 1 day, T2) 1 week and T3) 4 weeks after surgery. Osteopontin and TGFβ1 plasma concentrations were measured with a commercial ELISA system. Data were compared to 131 head and neck cancer patients treated with primary (n = 42) or postoperative radiotherapy (n = 89; group B1 and B2).ResultsA significant OPN increase was seen as early as 1 day after surgery (T0 to T1, p < 0.01). OPN levels decreased to base line 3-4 weeks after surgery. OPN values were correlated with postoperative TGFβ1 expression suggesting a relation to wound healing. Survival analysis showed a significant benefit for patients with lower OPN levels both in the primary and postoperative radiotherapy group (B1: 33 vs 11.5 months, p = 0.017, B2: median not reached vs 33.4, p = 0.031). TGFβ1 was also of prognostic significance in group B1 (33.0 vs 10.7 months, p = 0.003).ConclusionsPatients with head and neck cancer showed an increase in osteopontin plasma levels directly after surgery. Four weeks later OPN concentration decreased to pre-surgery levels. This long lasting increase was presumably associated to wound healing. Both pretherapeutic osteopontin and TGFβ1 had prognostic impact.

Candidate Angiogenesis‐Related Biomarkers in Patients with Laryngeal Carcinoma (AngLaC): A Prospective Cohort Study

“…Moreover, high osteopontin level had a negative impact on disease‐free survival. In a study conducted by Polat et al, 24 cases with head and neck cancer had higher osteopontin levels compared to the control group, in agreement with our study. In addition, they observed that patients that were suitable for surgery, in terms of survival, and those with a serum osteopontin level below the median value were advantageous in terms of survival.…”

“…24 It was also proposed that osteopontin had a prognostic role in terms of survival in patients that are not suitable for surgery or in those that underwent surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy. 24 In another study that included 578 patients with stage 3 to 4 head and neck cancer, plasma osteopontin levels intriguingly did not have any prognostic effects on overall and diseasefree survivals. 25 In contrast, Li et al 21 suggested that patients with both tissue expression and high plasma levels of osteopontin had shorter survival and were more likely to have distant metastasis.…”

“…However, such findings did not reach statistical significance 24 . It was also proposed that osteopontin had a prognostic role in terms of survival in patients that are not suitable for surgery or in those that underwent surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy 24 . In another study that included 578 patients with stage 3 to 4 head and neck cancer, plasma osteopontin levels intriguingly did not have any prognostic effects on overall and disease‐free survivals 25 .…”

“…In addition, they observed that patients that were suitable for surgery, in terms of survival, and those with a serum osteopontin level below the median value were advantageous in terms of survival. However, such findings did not reach statistical significance 24 . It was also proposed that osteopontin had a prognostic role in terms of survival in patients that are not suitable for surgery or in those that underwent surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy 24 .…”

OPN-a Splicing Variant Expression in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer and its Effects on the Bone Metastatic Abilities of Lung Cancer Cells In Vitro

“…Presently, we are developing a test to evaluate the circulating levels of OPN in patients with lung cancer in order to establish if plasma levels of OPN can also be a prognostic/diagnostic factor for these patients and hopefully to develop a clinically deliverable test in the regards. Indeed, circulating OPN in patients with breast cancer (27), liver cancer (28), colorectal cancer (29), squamous cell carcinoma (30), ovarian cancer (31) and in non-cancer related medical conditions such as systemic lupus erythematomatus (32) and in autoimmune encephalomyelitis (33) have been reported to have clinical relevance. In lung cancer, this has also been tested, plasma OPN prior and after radiation therapy has been suggested to be an additional prognostic marker (34).…”