Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is aggressive tumor with unfavorable prognosis despite the improved therapy in the last decades. HNSCC with its clinicopathological and biological heterogeneity remains difficult to be clinically managed.
Therefore, a better understanding its molecular pathobiology is required. The aim of our studies was to analyze the expression profile and possible prognostic and predictive role of selected matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), microRNAs (miR) and proteins p16, p53 and galectin-3 in HNSCC with respect to tumor location (oropharynx, larynx, hypopharynx) and clinicopathological parameters.
Three studies were performed (1. study: prospective, 46 patients, analysis of preoperative serum levels of MMP-1, MMP-2 and MMP-9 by multiplex method MAGPIX (Luminex, TX, USA); 2. study: retrospective, 58 patients, immunohistochemical analysis of p16, p53 and galectin-3; 3. study: retrospective, 51 patients, analysis of tissue let- 7a, miR-21, miR-34a, miR-200c, and miR-375 by real-time quantitative PCR method.