Affiliations: [a] Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Grosshadern Medical Center, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Munich, Germany | [b] Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany | [c] Institute of Medical Informatics, Biometry, and Epidemiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Munich, Germany | [d] MGZ-Medizinisch Genetisches Zentrum, Munich, Germany | [e] Helmholtz-Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany | [f] Clinical Cooperation Group Molecular Oncology, Helmholtz-Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, and Head and Neck Research Dept. Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Munich, Germany
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Martin Canis, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Grosshadern Medical Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 Munich, Germany. Tel.: +49 551 39 8971; Fax: +49 551 39 22809; E-maill: martin.canis@med.uni-goettingen.de
Note: [1] These authors have equally contributed.
Abstract: Background:The pentaspan protein CD133 (Prominin-1) is a predictive marker and part of the signature of tumour-initiating cells (TICs) for various cancer entities. Methods:The correlation of CD133 expression with clinical parameters was assessed in primary samples of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (n=98) and normal mucosas (n=24). Results:A gradual and inversely proportional correlation between CD133 expression in primary tumours and decreased overall survival was observed, along with a positive correlation with the presence of lymph node metastases. Conclusions:CD133 has the potential of being a novel clinically relevant prognostic marker for head and neck malignancies, which is possibly involved in regulation of tumourigenicity.
