[The expression of extracellular matrix in squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx: an immunohistochemical study]

To investigate the expression and the protective significance of extracellular matrix (ECM) in laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas(LSCC).

The expression and distribution of three antigens, human type IV collagen(CT IV), laminin(LN) and fibronectin(FN) were immunohistochemically determined in 72 cases of LSCC by using the corresponding monoclonal antibodies. The correlation of the intact continuance of ECM around the tumor nest with the cell differentiation, invasion mode and the regional lymph node metastasis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma was evaluated.

In cases with poor histological differentiation, the defect of ECM was more severe than that in cases with high or middle histological differentiation(P < 0.01). Moreover, cases with diffuse invasion revealed lower ECM expression compared with cases with better tumor-host border (P < 0.01). There was a higher risk of regional lymph node metastasis among cases with poor ECM expression (P < 0.01). And there was a significant association between the defect of ECM and the lymph node metastasis(P < 0.01).

These observations indicates that testing the distribution and the expression of ECM seems to be useful to evaluate the histological grading of malignancy and the invasion mode of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and to be helpful to prognosticate the frequency of regional lymph node metastasis.