Affiliations: [a] Tomsk Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk, Russian Federation | [b] Laboratory for Translational Cellular and Molecular Biomedicine, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russian Federation | [c] Siberian State Medical University, Tomsk, Russian Federation
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Evgeniya V. Kaigorodova, Cancer Research Institute of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Laboratory for Translational Cellular and Molecular Biomedicine, Tomsk State University, 5 Kooperativny Street, 36 Lenin Prospekt, Tomsk, 634050, Russian Federation. Tel.: +8 960 971 1613; Fax: +8 3822 51 40 97; E-mail:kaigorodova@oncology.tomsk.ru
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The small heat shock protein 27 kDA (Hsp27) acts as an
ATP-independent chaperone in protein folding, but is also implicated in
architecture of the cytoskeleton, cell migration, metabolism, cell survival,
growth/differentiation, mRNA stabilization, and tumor progression. OBJECTIVE: To study the intracellular localization of
phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated forms of Hsp27 in squamous cell
carcinoma of the larynx (SCCL) and to evaluate their relationship with
regional lymphatic metastasis and overall five-year survival. METHODS: Tumor biopsies of larynx tissue were collected from 50
patients who were between the ages of 30 to 80 years and had a confirmed
diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. Immunohistochemistry was
used to determine the intracellular localization of the phosphorylated and
non-phosphorylated forms of Hsp27. RESULTS: The study revealed that the Hsp27 chaperone was expressed
in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus of tumor cells in SCCL. The biopsies
of patients with lymph node metastases showed significantly higher
expression of the phosphorylated and unphosphorylated forms of Hsp27 in the
nucleus compared to those of patients without lymph node metastases. At the
same time, the cytoplasmic expression of Hsp27 in these patients did not
differ statistically. Analysis of the overall five-year survival rates
showed that negative Hsp27 expression in the nucleus of tumor cells is
associated with the survival rate of patients with SCCL. CONCLUSION: The nuclear expression of phosphorylated and
unphosphorylated forms of Hsp27 is a molecular marker of unfavorable
squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx associated with lymphogenous
metastasis and decreased total five-year survival.
