[Expression of CD44v and nm23-H1 proteins in laryngeal carcinoma and its correlation with clinical significance].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between the expression of two gene proteins and their clinical significance in laryngeal carcinoma. METHODS: Sixty fresh laryngeal carcinoma samples were analyzed and 20 para-carcinoma tissue and 12 normal laryngeal mucosa samples were studied as controls. All specimens were collected from patients operated on from 1996 to 1998 in the same department (including 52 males and 8 females, age ranged from 41 to 77). The quantitative expression of CD44v and nm23-H1 proteins was analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM) and immunofluorescence technique. RESULTS: 1. Higher level expression of CD44v and nm23-H1 proteins was detected in the laryngeal carcinoma specimen than in normal laryngeal mucosa. 2. The expression of CD44v protein was positively correlated with the metastasis, clinical staging and pathological classification; but not correlated with sex, age, tumor size, course of the disease, T classification and category of laryngeal cancer. 3. The expression of nm23-H1 protein was inversely correlated with metastasis and clinical staging while positively correlated with age and tumor size; no significant relations were found between the expression and the sex and course of the disease, T classification and category of laryngeal cancer. 4. There was an inverse correlation between the protein expression of CD44v and nm23-H1. CONCLUSION: CD44v and nm23-H1 probably play an important regulating role in the metastasis of laryngeal carcinoma.