Yonatan Lahav1, Oded Cohen1, Monica Huszar2, Iris Levy3, Juan P Cata4, Doron Halperin1, Hagit Shoffel-Havakuk5. 1. Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Kaplan Medical Center, Rehovot, Israel; Hadassah School of Medicine, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel. 2. Hadassah School of Medicine, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel; Department of Pathology, Kaplan Medical Center, Rehovot, Israel. 3. Hadassah School of Medicine, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel. 4. Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. 5. Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikva, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv Israel. Electronic address: shoffel@gmail.com.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Expression of mu-opioid receptors (MORs) has not been investigated in head and neck cancer. In this study, we aimed to assess the expression of opioids receptors in laryngeal cancer, compared to adjacent non-malignant tissue. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective case series in a single academic center. METHODS: Sixty-four specimens were taken from 32 matched patients, diagnosed with laryngeal-carcinoma (20 supraglottic and 12 glottic), and were analyzed using immunohistochemical stains for MOR. All sections were examined and evaluated with a semi-quantitative analysis for staining intensity and cell count for a percentage of the positively stained cells. Survival of patients was compared based on MOR expression. RESULTS: MOR staining intensity was significantly increased in laryngeal-carcinoma compared to the normal tissue adjacent to the carcinoma (P = 0.019). The percentage of stained cells in non-involved supraglottis was significantly higher compared to the non-involved glottis (P = 0.022), yet this difference was no longer found between supra- and glottic-carcinoma tissues. CONCLUSION: MOR may play a role in the laryngeal cancer environment, as the expression in tumor cells alters from adjacent non-cancerous tissue.
OBJECTIVES: Expression of mu-opioid receptors (MORs) has not been investigated in head and neck cancer. In this study, we aimed to assess the expression of opioids receptors in laryngeal cancer, compared to adjacent non-malignant tissue. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective case series in a single academic center. METHODS: Sixty-four specimens were taken from 32 matched patients, diagnosed with laryngeal-carcinoma (20 supraglottic and 12 glottic), and were analyzed using immunohistochemical stains for MOR. All sections were examined and evaluated with a semi-quantitative analysis for staining intensity and cell count for a percentage of the positively stained cells. Survival of patients was compared based on MOR expression. RESULTS:MOR staining intensity was significantly increased in laryngeal-carcinoma compared to the normal tissue adjacent to the carcinoma (P = 0.019). The percentage of stained cells in non-involved supraglottis was significantly higher compared to the non-involved glottis (P = 0.022), yet this difference was no longer found between supra- and glottic-carcinoma tissues. CONCLUSION:MOR may play a role in the laryngeal cancer environment, as the expression in tumor cells alters from adjacent non-cancerous tissue.