Cervical adipocytes and tumor cells interact in patients with head and neck cancer

Introduction In head and neck cancer (HNSCC), extracapsular spread of lymph node metastases is considered to be a particular malignancy criterion with direct therapeutic relevance. The regional metastases are usually found cervical, where the tumor cells are in direct contact with the cervical fatty tissue. The mutual influence of these cell populations could thus influence the course of the disease.

Material and methods Paired samples of subcutaneous and deep adipose tissue from the cervical-vaginal sheath were taken intraoperatively from tumor patients (n = 40). Gene expression (RT-qPCR) was compared with clinical data (T-stage; pN (+/neg); pENE(+/neg)). Human SGBS adipocytes were analyzed after incubation with conditioned media from three different KHT cell lines.

Results In pN(+) patients, deep-seated adipose tissue showed a higher expression of immune cell markers, cytotines and chemokines as compared to pN(neg) patients (p <0.05). In subcutaneous adipose tissue, these differences were not seen. In cultured human SGBS adipocytes, incubation with tumor cell media resulted in enhanced cytokine expression.

Conclusion These in vivo and in vitro findings suggest that tumor cells can interact directly with cervical adipose tissue to influence disease progression. The data justify a prospective study in a murine tumor model.

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Publication History

Article published online:
10 June 2020