Hamdi TAŞLI, Burcu ESER, Hakan BİRKENT, Burak AŞIK, Mustafa GEREK

Investigation of Pepsin in Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Specimens

Objective: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) composes 95% of the carcinoma of the larynx. One of the factor recognizedin the past two decades as increasing the risk of SCC is laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). The role and mechanism ofLPR in laryngeal cancer remain unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the presence of pepsin in laryngealformalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) specimens in order to test the hypothesisthat LPR plays a role in the development of laryngeal SCC.Method: A total of 29 pathology specimens of advanced-stage laryngeal cancer patients who had undergone totallaryngectomy were evaluated. The specimens were confirmed histopathologically as SCC and maintained in paraffinblocks in the pathology department. The western blot (WB) or the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)analyses were used to measure pepsin enzyme levels.Results: According to the WB and ELISA analyses, there was no presence of the pepsin enzyme in any of the 29formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) laryngeal SCC specimens. However, pepsin was detected with both the WBand the ELISA tests in positive controls and fresh rat stomach specimen.Conclusion: Pepsin was not present in any of the malignant laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma specimens in thisstudy. Relationship between LPR and laryngeal SCC still remains unclear and further studies are needed to verify therole of pepsin and LPR in laryngeal SCC.

Larenks Skuamöz Hücreli Karsinom Örneklerinde Pepsin Araştırılması

Amaç: Skuamöz hücreli karsinom (SHK) larenks kanserlerinin % 95'ini oluşturur. Son yirmi yılda SHK riskinin artmasında kabul gören faktörlerden biri larengofaringeal reflü hastalığıdır (LFR). Larenks kanserinde LFR'nin rolü ve mekanizması belirsizliğini korumaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, larenks kanseri gelişiminde LFR'nin rol oynadığı hipotezini test etmek için larengeal formalinle fikse edilmiş parafine gömülü (FFPG) skuamöz hücreli karsinom (SHK) örneklerinde pepsin varlığını araştırmaktır. Yöntemler: Total larenjektomi uygulanan ileri evre larengeal kanser hastalarının toplam 29 patoloji örneği değerlendirildi. Patoloji bölümünde parafin bloklarında tutulan örneklerin histopatolojik olarak SHK olduğu doğrulandı. Pepsin enzim seviyelerini ölçmek için western blot (WB) veya enzime bağlı immunosorbent assay (ELISA) testleri kullanıldı. Bulgular: WB ve ELISA test sonuçlarına gore, 29 formalinle fikse edilmiş, parafine gömülü (FFPG) larengeal SHK örneklerinin hiçbirinde pepsin enzimine rastlanmadı. Bununla birlikte, pozitif kontrollerde hem WB hem de ELISA testleri ile pepsin enzimi tespit edildi. Sonuçlar: Bu çalışmada malign larengeal skuamöz hücreli karsinom örneklerinde pepsine rastlanmadı. LFR ve larengeal SHK arasındaki ilişki hala belirsizliğini korumakla birlikte larengeal SHK'da pepsin ve LFR'nin rolünü doğrulamak için daha ileri çalışmalara ihtiyaç duyulmaktadır.

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