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The correlation between tumor-infiltrating Foxp3+ regulatory T cells and cyclooxygenase-2 expression and their association with recurrence in resected head and neck cancers

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between tumor-infiltrating CD4+ CD25high Foxp3+ naturally occurring regulatory T cells (Foxp3+ nTregs) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and their association with local recurrence in resected head and neck cancers. Intratumoral COX-2 and Foxp3+ nTregs expressions were retrospectively assessed using immunohistochemistry. Associations between the clinicopathological characteristics and either intratumoral COX-2 expression or number of Foxp3+ nTregs were tested using the Chi-square test. The correlation between the number of Foxp3+ nTregs and COX-2 expression was tested using Spearman’s rank correlation test. Associations between recurrence-free survival (RFS) and either intratumoral COX-2 expression or number of Foxp3+ nTregs were calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method, and factors that may influence the RFS were analyzed by Cox regression. The five-year RFS for all patients was 35.09%. Patient clinicopathological characteristics had no relationship with intratumoral COX-2 expression or the number of Foxp3+ nTregs. However, a positive correlation between intratumoral COX-2 expression and the number of Foxp3+ nTregs was observed (P < 0.001). The RFS of patients with elevated COX-2 expression was significantly worse than that of patients without intratumoral COX-2 expression (P = 0.0228). The RFS of patients with tumors containing >6 Foxp3+ cells was significantly worse than that of patients with tumors containing ≤6 Foxp3+ cells (P = 0.0020). However, by Cox regression analysis, the RFS of all patients was not influenced by intratumoral COX-2 expression (P = 0.100) or the number of Foxp3+ nTregs (P = 0.071). Tumor-infiltrating CD4+ CD25high Foxp3+ nTregs were positively correlated with intratumoral COX-2 expression and were associated with a worse RFS in univariate analysis.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express their gratitude to the colleagues from the hospitals that provided us so many samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cancer center, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, No 247 Beiyuan Avenue, 250033, **an, Shandong Province, China

    Dian-shui Sun & Yu-hua Jiang

  2. Department of Pathology, The Shandong Province Hospital of Shandong University, No 324 **gwu Weiqi Road, 250021, **an, Shandong Province, China

    Miao-qing Zhao

  3. Department of otorhinolaryngology, The Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, No 107 West Wenhua Road, 250012, **an, Shandong Province, China

    Ming **a

  4. Cancer center, The Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, No 107 West Wenhua Road, 250012, **an, Shandong Province, China

    Li Li

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  1. Dian-shui Sun
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  3. Ming **a
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  4. Li Li
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Correspondence to Yu-hua Jiang.

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Sun, Ds., Zhao, Mq., **a, M. et al. The correlation between tumor-infiltrating Foxp3+ regulatory T cells and cyclooxygenase-2 expression and their association with recurrence in resected head and neck cancers. Med Oncol 29, 707–713 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-011-9903-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-011-9903-2

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