Neoangiogenesis in temporal bone carcinoma: the prognostic role of CD105.

OBJECTIVE: Temporal bone squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) accounts for less than 2% of all head and neck tumors. Its biologic parameters should be investigated because clinicopathologic factors are often inaccurate for the purposes of its prognosis. CD105 is a proliferation-associated protein expressed in angiogenic endothelial cells and a potential prognostic indicator for several solid malignancies. The present study is the first to investigate the prognostic role of CD105 expression in temporal bone SCC. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective clinicopathologic investigation. SETTING: Tertiary referral centers. PATIENTS: Twenty consecutive operable patients with temporal bone SCC. INTERVENTION: CD105 immunohistochemical expression in primary temporal bone SCCs was assessed using image analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: CD105 expression was correlated with conventional clinicopathologic and prognostic parameters. RESULTS: Using the revised Pittsburgh staging system, T and stage correlated with local recurrence rate (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0001, respectively) and disease-free survival (p = 0.043 and p = 0.018, respectively). The recurrence rate was significantly higher (p = 0.038) and the disease-free survival shorter in patients with CD105 expression of 9.44% or higher (p = 0.038) than in cases where it was less than 9.44%. The crude carcinoma recurrence risk ratio of was 5.9 times higher for patients whose CD105 expression was 9.44% or higher. CONCLUSION: CD105 expression in activated endothelial cells of temporal bone SCC can be considered potentially useful for detecting patients at a higher risk of local disease recurrence after treatment. Further investigations are needed to ascertain the feasibility of incorporating targeted anti-CD105 therapy in multimodality or multitarget strategies for temporal bone SCC treatment.