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Background/Aim: Previous studies have identified several inflammatory biomarkers that are useful as prognostic biomarkers for various cancer types. However, the fibrinogen-to-lymphocyte ratio (FLR) has not been addressed in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Here, we aimed to examine the value of pretreatment FLR as a prognostic marker in patients who received definitive radiotherapy for hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HpSCC). Patients and Methods: This retrospective study included 95 patients treated with definitive radiotherapy for HpSCC between 2013 and 2020. The prognostic factors for progression-free (PFS) and overall (OS) survival were identified. Results: The optimal cut-off value of pretreatment FLR for discriminating PFS was 2.46. Based on this value, 57 and 38 patients were classified into groups with high and low FLR, respectively. A high FLR was significantly associated with advanced local disease and overall stage, and with the development of synchronous second primary cancer compared with a low FLR. The high FLR group had significantly lower PFS and OS rates than the low FLR group. Multivariate analysis showed that having a high pretreatment FLR was an independent prognostic factor for poorer PFS and OS [PFS: hazard ratio (HR)=2.14, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.09-4.19, p=0.026; OS: HR=2.86, 95% CI=1.14-7.20, p=0.024]. Conclusion: The FLR has a clinical effect on PFS and OS in patients with HpSCC, suggesting that it has potential application as a prognostic factor for patients with HpSCC.

The number of cases of noninvasive fungal sinusitis among asymptomatic and older patients has recently increased. Older adults are more commonly predisposed to comorbidities than younger people, and it is often difficult to determine a treatment plan for such patients, particularly for asymptomatic patients. Notably, surgery is the first-choice treatment for such patients; however, to date, no clear guidelines have been established for the same. In this study, we investigated the predictive factors of pain among patients with noninvasive fungal sinusitis. Out of 554 patients who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery between April 2010 and March 2020 at the Yokohama City University Medical Center, 59 were diagnosed with fungal sinusitis based on the identification of fungi in resected surgical specimens. Of these, 19 patients with preoperative symptoms, such as headache and facial pain, were included in the pain group, whereas the remaining 40 patients were included in the control group. Overall, 18 items were analyzed, including patient background factors, preoperative computed tomography scan results, blood test results, the location of the fungal mass, and information on the identified fungal species. Univariate analysis revealed significant differences in age, alcohol consumption, frequency of occurrence of ethmoid and frontal sinus lesions, Lund–Mackay scores, and white blood cell counts between the pain and control groups. However, based on multivariate analyses, only the Lund–Mackay score and white blood cell counts were identified as independent predictors of pain. In the receiver operator characteristic curve analysis, the area under the curve for the Lund–Mackay score was 0.76, and sensitivity and specificity were at a maximum cutoff score of 5. Among patients with noninvasive fungal sinusitis, those with high Lund–Mackay scores or white blood cell counts should be considered candidates for surgery.

Background Mycobacterium abscessus subspecies massiliense is a non-tuberculous mycobacteriosis and was subdivided from Mycobacterium abscessus in 2006. This article is the first report on nasopharyngitis caused by Mycobacterium abscessus subspecies massiliense. Case presentation A 45-year-old woman had an 18-month history of recurrent nasopharyngitis and presented with pain in the throat. Mycobacterial tissue culture and polymerase chain reaction testing revealed the presence of Mycobacterium abscessus subspecies massiliense in the nasopharyngeal tissue. This patient underwent surgery, followed by multiple rounds of chemotherapy with oral and intravenous antibiotic agents for 16 weeks. She has had no recurrence during the 56 weeks since treatment. Conclusion It is difficult to detect the presence of Mycobacterium abscessus subspecies massiliense in a culture from the swabbing sample. The tissue culture from a biopsy specimen is mandatory for the identification of the species. Currently, no definite treatment policy is available and only empirical treatment is applied. This case is an important for the diagnosis and treatment of this bacterial infection on nasopharynx.

Background/aim We evaluated the impact of FosL1, a member of the activated protein-1 family, on the pathways leading to regional metastasis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Materials and methods We examined the influence of small interfering RNA (siRNA) and short heparin RNA (shRNA) mediated knockdown of FosL1 on cell migration, invasion, and proliferation in vitro as well as on regional metastasis in vivo. The prognostic significance of FosL1 was also analyzed using the Kaplan- Meier plotter using data from an HNSCC patient database. Results Down-regulation of FosL1 inhibited cell migration, invasion, and proliferation in vitro, decreased the incidence of regional metastases, and prolonged the survival of mice in vivo. We also determined that HNSCC patients with higher expression levels of FosL1 had a significantly shorter survival time than those with low expression of FosL1. Conclusion FosL1 plays a crucial role in promoting cell migration, invasion, and proliferation in HNSCC.

To evaluate the feasibility of narrow-field supracricoid partial laryngectomy with cricohyoidoepiglottopexy (NF-SCPL-CHEP).Between 2019 and 2020, five patients with glottic cancers underwent NF-SCPL-CHEP. The mean durations of surgical drains, tracheostomy canula, and nasogastric tube use were evaluated. Length of stay following NF-SCPL-CHEP was compared with that of our open SCPL historical controls. A case summary is provided for the first patients, with detailed information about postoperative management and function.All five patients achieved uneventful postoperative recoveries without major complications. The average time for surgical drains, tracheostomy canula, and nasogastric tube use were 2, 15, and 46 days, respectively. The mean overall hospitalization period was 36 days for NF-SCPL-CHEP patients. The mean period of hospitalization based on our early experiences between 1997 and 2005 with classical open SCPL was 72 days. All patients were fully functional and local recurrences or distant metastases were not encountered during a mean observation period of 39 months.NF-SCPL-CHEP with 6 cm cervical access appeared technically feasible and oncologically sound in this initial clinical experience. An extra 2 cm incision, which enabled lateral neck dissection, was not felt to detract from the overall minimally invasive basis of NF-SCPL-CHEP. The clinical results were encouraging with limited complications and predictable postoperative recovery. The length of stay for patients undergoing NF-SCPL was half that of open SCPL historical controls. Less damages to local circulation may associate with the positive influences. Further study with a large patient sample across multiple institutions are needed to carefully evaluate long-term functional and oncological outcomes.

Background: Although dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) expression has been reported to correlate with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) resistance in several cancers, the relationship between DPD expression and chemotherapeutic resistance to 5-FU remains unclear in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of DPD expression on 5-FU sensitivity and survival in HNSCC patients receiving 5-FU-based treatment. Methods: To study the correlation between DPD expression and clinical outcome of HNSCC patients who had undergone concurrent chemoradiotherapy with 5-FU-based regimens, we first examined DPD mRNA expression of these patient samples. We next developed a 5-FU-resistant HNSCC cell line (HSC-3R) to clarify the association between DPD expression and 5-FU resistance. Clonogenic survival assay was performed to determine the sensitivity of HSC-3 cells and HSC-3R cells to 5-FU. DPD expression levels in parental HSC-3 and HSC-3R cell lines were then examined by Western blotting and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. Lastly, we performed WST-8 assay to examine the effects of 5-Chloro-2,4-dihydroxypyridine (CDHP), a 5-FU modulator to competitively inhibit DPD, on 5-FU cytotoxicity in the HSC-3 and HSC-3R cells, to evaluate if inhibition of DPD can restore the sensitivity of HNSCC cells to 5-FU. Results: Nineteen HNSCC patients who had undergone concurrent chemoradiotherapy with 5-FU-based regimens were enrolled in this study. The cut-off value for DPD mRNA expression calculated from the ROC curve was 8.53 against cancer-specific survival of these patients. The high-level DPD expression group showed significantly shorter overall and cancer-specific survival compared to the low-level DPD expression group (P=0.0018 and 0.0004, respectively). Both of protein and mRNA expression levels were greater in the HSC-3R cells than that in the HSC-3 cells. While HSC-3R cells showed 12.64-fold greater resistance to 5-FU compared with HSC-3 cells, the combination of 5-FU with CDHP had a significant inhibitory effect on 5-FU cytotoxicity in HSC-3R cells in CDHP exposure. Conclusions: In this study, we clarified that the high-level DPD expression group of HNSCC patients undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy with 5-FU-based regimens showed significantly shorter overall survival. The 5-FU-resistant cells established from HNSCC cells showed increased DPD expression and attenuated 5-FU resistance induced by CDHP. Our results suggested that a high level of DPD expression was correlated with 5-FU resistance and that DPD expression level might be a predictive biomarker in 5-FU-based chemoradiotherapy for HNSCC patients.

Hereditary renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) are life-threatening disorders not only for the patients but also for their relatives. Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome (BHD) is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by germline mutations in the folliculin gene (FLCN). The protein product, FLCN, functions as a tumor suppressor, and the affected patients have high risks of developing multiple RCCs. The carcinogenic mechanisms stemming from FLCN dysfunction have been investigated using rodent models and human RCC tissues. However, very limited information has been available about in vitro signaling of human renal cells with genetically mutant FLCN. Herein, we established a new cell line, BHD-F59RSVT, from a BHD patient's chromophobe RCC by transfecting SV40 large T antigen. We investigated FLCN mutations, chromosome profiles, and cytopathologic characteristics of the cell line. BHD-F59RSVT reflected the patient's FLCN germline mutation, a 3-nt deletion in exon 13 (c.1528_1530delGAG). Neither somatic mutation nor loss of heterozygosity of FLCN was detectable. Chromosome 17p11.2 of the FLCN proximal region demonstrated a trimodal pattern. Genome-wide chromosomal analysis revealed a loss of chromosome 16 and mosaic segmental gains in chromosome 7. BHD-F59RSVT cells were positive when immunostained for cytokeratin 7, supporting their origin from distal convoluted tubules. Western blotting analysis demonstrated severely suppressed FLCN expression at the protein level. The collective findings indicate that the established cell line will be suitable for functional analysis of the typical phenotype of BHD-associated RCC with suppressed FLCN expression.

Recent studies showed that human papillomavirus (HPV) integration contributes to the genomic instability seen in HPV-associated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HPV-HNSCC). However, the epigenetic alterations induced after HPV integration remains unclear. To identify the molecular details of HPV16 DNA integration and the ensuing patterns of methylation in HNSCC, we performed next-generation sequencing using a target-enrichment method for the effective identification of HPV16 integration breakpoints as well as the characterization of genomic sequences adjacent to HPV16 integration breakpoints with three HPV16-related HNSCC cell lines. The DNA methylation levels of the integrated HPV16 genome and that of the adjacent human genome were also analyzed by bisulfite pyrosequencing. We found various integration loci, including novel integration sites. Integration loci were located predominantly in the intergenic region, with a significant enrichment of the microhomologous sequences between the human and HPV16 genomes at the integration breakpoints. Furthermore, various levels of methylation within both the human genome and the integrated HPV genome at the integration breakpoints in each integrant were observed. Allele-specific methylation analysis suggested that the HPV16 integrants remained hypomethylated when the flanking host genome was hypomethylated. After integration into highly methylated human genome regions, however, the HPV16 DNA became methylated. In conclusion, we found novel integration sites and methylation patterns in HPV-HNSCC using our unique method. These findings may provide insights into understanding of viral integration mechanism and virus-associated carcinogenesis of HPV-HNSCC.

FLCN is a tumor suppressor gene which controls energy homeostasis through regulation of a variety of metabolic pathways including mitochondrial oxidative metabolism and autophagy. Birt-Hogg-Dube (BHD) syndrome which is driven by germline alteration of the FLCN gene, predisposes patients to develop kidney cancer, cutaneous fibrofolliculomas, pulmonary cysts and less frequently, salivary gland tumors. Here, we report metabolic roles for FLCN in the salivary gland as well as their clinical relevance. Screening of salivary glands of BHD patients using ultrasonography demonstrated increased cyst formation in the salivary gland. Salivary gland tumors that developed in BHD patients exhibited an upregulated mTOR-S6R pathway as well as increased GPNMB expression, which are characteristics of FLCN-deficient cells. Salivary gland-targeted Flcn knockout mice developed cytoplasmic clear cell formation in ductal cells with increased mitochondrial biogenesis, upregulated mTOR-S6K pathway, upregulated TFE3-GPNMB axis and upregulated lipid metabolism. Proteomic and metabolite analysis using LC/MS and GC/MS revealed that Flcn inactivation in salivary gland triggers metabolic reprogramming towards the pentose phosphate pathway which consequently upregulates nucleotide synthesis and redox regulation, further supporting that Flcn controls metabolic homeostasis in salivary gland. These data uncover important roles for FLCN in salivary gland; metabolic reprogramming under FLCN deficiency might increase nucleotide production which may feed FLCN-deficient salivary gland cells to trigger tumor initiation and progression, providing mechanistic insight into salivary gland tumorigenesis as well as a foundation for development of novel therapeutics for salivary gland tumors.

Birt-Hogg-Dube (BHD) syndrome is a hereditary kidney cancer syndrome, which predisposes patients to develop kidney cancer, cutaneous fibrofolliculomas and pulmonary cysts. The responsible gene FLCN is a tumor suppressor for kidney cancer, which plays an important role in energy homeostasis through the regulation of mitochondrial oxidative metabolism. However, the process by which FLCN-deficiency leads to renal tumorigenesis is unclear. In order to clarify molecular pathogenesis of BHD-associated kidney cancer, we conducted whole-exome sequencing analysis using next-generation sequencing technology as well as metabolite analysis using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Whole-exome sequencing analysis of BHD-associated kidney cancer revealed that copy number variations of BHD-associated kidney cancer are considerably different from those already reported in sporadic cases. In somatic variant analysis, very few variants were commonly observed in BHD-associated kidney cancer; however, variants in chromatin remodeling genes were frequently observed in BHD-associated kidney cancer (17/29 tumors, 59%). Metabolite analysis of BHD-associated kidney cancer revealed metabolic reprogramming toward upregulated redox regulation which may neutralize reactive oxygen species potentially produced from mitochondria with increased respiratory capacity under FLCN-deficiency. BHD-associated kidney cancer displays unique molecular characteristics that are completely different from sporadic kidney cancer, providing mechanistic insight into tumorigenesis under FLCN-deficiency as well as a foundation for development of novel therapeutics for kidney cancer.

This is a case report of a 58-year-old woman with advanced small-cell undifferentiated (neuroendocrine) carcinoma of the nasal cavity treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with irinotecan and cisplatin. No recurrence has been observed more than 5 years after treatment. CCRT with irinotecan and cisplatin is regarded as effective for neuroendocrine small-cell carcinoma of the nasal cavity.

Background While treatment failure in cases of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) frequently takes the form of locoregional recurrences and distant metastasis, our understanding of the mechanisms of metastasis in HNSCC is limited. We initially performed the upstream and key nodes analysis together with whole gene microarray analysis characterized by distant metastatic potential in vivo with HNSCC cell lines and identified JunB, a member of the activator protein-1 (AP-1) family, as a key molecule in the regulation of the pathways related to distant metastasis in HNSCC. We have therefore tested the hypothesis that JunB plays a crucial role in distant metastasis in HNSCC. Methods To study the role of JunB on metastatic potential of HNSCC, small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (cas9) system (CRISPR/Cas9)-mediated knockout of JunB in HNSCC cells were established and the abilities of cell invasion and migration in vitro were examined. The efficacy of knockout of JunB was also examined using an experimental lung metastatic mouse model of HNSCC. In addition, to study if the role of JunB in HNSCC cell migration and invasiveness is related to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cell morphology and expression of mesenchymal or epithelial marker on siRNA mediated JunB knockdown in HNSCC cells were examined with or without TGF-β stimulation. Results siRNA knockdown and sgRNA knockout of JunB in metastatic HNSCC cells significantly suppressed both cell invasion and migration in vitro. In addition, the knockout of JunB in metastatic HNSCC cells significantly repressed the incidence of lung metastases and prolonged the survival in vivo. However, we did not observe any change in cell morphology with the down-regulation of mesenchymal markers and up-regulation of epithelial markers in response to siRNA-mediated JunB knockdown in HNSCC cells. Conclusion These results suggested that JunB could play an important role in promoting cell invasion, migration and distant metastasis in HNSCC via pathways other than EMT and that the down-regulation of JunB may become an effective strategy for patients with invasive HNSCC. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13046-016-0284-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and toxicity of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with docetaxel, cisplatin (CDDP) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) (TPF regimen) or with CDDP, 5-FU, methotrexate and leucovorin (PFML regimen) in previously untreated patients with advanced oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).Fifty-six eligible patients with stage III or IV oropharyngeal SCC were treated with CCRT. Forty-four patients were men and 12 were women, and the average age of the patients was 58.8 years (range, 37-72 years). In the TPF group, patients received CCRT with the TPF regimen [docetaxel (50 mg/m(2), day 1), CDDP (60 mg/m(2), day 4) and a continuous 5-FU infusion (600 mg/m(2)/day, days 1-5)]. In the PFML group, patients received CCRT with the PFML regimen [CDDP (60 mg/m(2), day 4), a continuous 5-FU infusion (600 mg/m(2)/day, days 1-5), methotrexate (30 mg/m(2), day 1) and leucovorin (10 mg/m(2)/day, days 1-5)]. The total radiation dose was between 66.6 and 70.2 Gy.The overall 5-year survival rate was 64.6% in all patients, 68.6% in the resectable group and 47.4% in the unresectable group. The 5-year disease-specific survival rate was 72.2% in all patients, 78.1% in the resectable group and 47.7% in the unresectable group. Regarding clinical stage, the 5-year disease-specific survival rates were 91% in stage III, 72% in stage IVa and 44% in stage IVb.CCRT with TPF or PFML regimen for advanced oropharyngeal SCC is tolerable and effective, especially in patients with resectable disease.

Germline H255Y and K508R missense mutations in the folliculin (FLCN) gene have been identified in patients with bilateral multifocal (BMF) kidney tumours and clinical manifestations of Birt-Hogg-Dubé (BHD) syndrome, or with BMF kidney tumours as the only manifestation; however, their impact on FLCN function remains to be determined. In order to determine if FLCN H255Y and K508R missense mutations promote aberrant kidney cell proliferation leading to pathogenicity, we generated mouse models expressing these mutants using BAC recombineering technology and investigated their ability to rescue the multi-cystic phenotype of Flcn-deficient mouse kidneys. Flcn H255Y mutant transgene expression in kidney-targeted Flcn knockout mice did not rescue the multi-cystic kidney phenotype. However, expression of the Flcn K508R mutant transgene partially, but not completely, abrogated the phenotype. Notably, expression of the Flcn K508R mutant transgene in heterozygous Flcn knockout mice resulted in development of multi-cystic kidneys and cardiac hypertrophy in some mice. These results demonstrate that both FLCN H255Y and K508R missense mutations promote aberrant kidney cell proliferation, but to different degrees. Based on the phenotypes of our preclinical models, the FLCN H255Y mutant protein has lost it tumour suppressive function leading to the clinical manifestations of BHD, whereas the FLCN K508R mutant protein may have a dominant negative effect on the function of wild-type FLCN in regulating kidney cell proliferation and, therefore, act as an oncoprotein. These findings may provide mechanistic insight into the role of FLCN in regulating kidney cell proliferation and facilitate the development of novel therapeutics for FLCN-deficient kidney cancer.

Background: The incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related oropharyngeal cancers (HPV-OPC) is increasing remarkably these days, in contrast to other head and neck cancers with use of tobacco and/or alcohol as major risks. While the detail mechanism of HPV integration on the host genome for the development of cervical cancer has been well characterized, less is known about the interactions between HPV integration and the human genome in HPV-OPC. The purpose of this study is to reveal genome-wide maps of HPV integration loci in HPV-related head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines. Methods: Three HPV 16-related HNSCC cell lines (UPCI:SCC090; tongue base, UPCI:SCC152; hypopharyngeal recurrence of a tongue base cancer, UPCI:SCC154; tongue) were prepared for this study. To detect integrated HPV sequences in the genome of these 3 HPV-related HNSCC cell lines, we used technique of target enrichment for next-generation sequencing analysis A total 427 of custom RNA probes were designed to specifically target the HPV genome for this study. After capture and amplification, the templates were sequenced using next-generation sequencer (NGS). Reads that aligned perfectly to the human or HPV 16 genome were removed. Reads aligned partially to human genome and HPV 16 genome were reserved. The integration sites, exact joint position of human and HPV 16 sequence, were then efficiently detected from the reserved reads. PCR and direct sequencing were used to verify the detected HPV 16 integration sites. Results: The average read length was 414.18 bp. The average read quality was 31.30, corresponding to >99.9% accuracy. The HPV integrants mapped to chromosomes 2q23, 3p12, 6p21, and 9q22 in UPCI:SCC090, chromosomes 2q23, 3p12, 9q22, and 9q31 in UPCI:SCC152, and chromosome 21q21 in UPCI:SCC154 were detected. Conclusion: In the present study, we identified novel integration sites in HPV-related HNSCC cell lines with our unique approach with deep and high-throughput sequencing which enabled enrichment of viral fragments for sequencing using custom-made probes based on the sequence of the HPV genome, without conducting unnecessary sequencing of regions where the HPV genome is not integrated. Citation Format: Takashi Hatano, Daisuke Sano, Hideaki Takahashi, Hiroshi Hyakusoku, Yasuhiro Isono, Shoko Shimada, Kae Sawakuma, Yoshiyuki Watanabe, Hiroyuki Yamamoto, Fumio Itoh, Jeffrey N. Myers, Nobuhiko Oridate. Efficient identification of integration sites of human papilloma virus (HPV) genome in HPV-related head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines with next-generation sequencing-based novel approach. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4054.

Chemiluminescence was observed in autooxidation of the phosphonate carbanions and the related reaction, which gave a strong proof of phospha-1,2-dioxetanes as the intermediates in these reactions.

Chemiluminescence was observed in autooxidation of the phosphonate carbanions and the related reaction, which gave a strong proof of phospha-1,2-dioxetanes as the intermediates in these reactions.