6070 Background: Patients with advanced stage squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) have less than 50% 5-year survival rate Human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated SCCHN in oropharyngeal sites have shown better prognosis. Little is known about the role of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in immune suppression or tumor progression in the setting of SCCHN. Our objective is to evaluate the clinical significance of MDSCs in subjects with SCCHN, HPV-positivity, and advanced cancer staging. Methods: Thirty-three subjects with SCCHN and 10 healthy donors were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. Fresh blood was collected at the time of surgical resection of SCCHN in a tertiary academic center between August 2011 and January 2013. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained using Ficoll Hypaque. MDSCs were immunophenotyped as CD14-CD33+CD11b+by flow cytometry. HPV status was determined by in situ hybridization Frequencies of MDSCs in blood of different cohorts were evaluated. Results: Thirty-three subjects (ages 34-83 years, 25 males) with SCCHN were enrolled. Increased numbers of CD14-CD33+CD11b+ cells of total leukocytes were found in HPV-associated SCCHN (median 26.6%, n=11) compared to HPV-negative SCCHN (16.3%, n=19). Interestingly, 3 subjects who previously had HPV-positive SCCHN but with no evidence of disease had 6.24% (n=3) CD14-CD33+CD11b+cells of leukocytes which was higher than healthy donors (3.55%, n=10). Subjects with advanced cancer stages (III-IV) had higher levels of MDSCs (26%, n=19) compared to those with a lower grade (I-II, 15.5%, n=11) regardless of HPV status. Three subjects were lost to follow up. Of the remaining subjects, the overall median follow time was 3 months and subjects who were found to have recurrence, regional or local metastasis had higher frequencies of MDSCs in the blood (26.35%, n=4) compared to those with no evidence of disease (18.5%, n=26) at the time of surgery. Conclusions: This study suggests there is an accumulation of MDSCs in peripheral blood of patients with SCCHN, particularly in HPV-associated SCCHN. Further, increased levels of MDSCs in the peripheral blood are related to more advance cancer stage and poor clinical outcomes.
Change of telomerase activity in peripheral blood of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma pre and post curative treatment