Chronic Inflammation-Related HPV: A Driving Force Speeds Oropharyngeal Carcinogenesis.

Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) has been known to be a highly aggressive disease associated with human papilloma virus (HPV) infection. To investigate the relationship between HPV and chronic inflammation in oropharyngeal carcinogenesis, we collected 140 oral mucous fresh specimens including 50 OPSCC patients, 50 cancer in situ, 30 precancerous lesions, and 10 normal oral mucous. Our data demonstrated that there was a significantly higher proportion of severe chronic inflammation in dysplastic epithelia in comparison with that in normal tissues (P<0.

HIF-α/MIF and NF-κB/IL-6 axes contribute to the recruitment of CD11b+Gr-1+ myeloid cells in hypoxic microenvironment of HNSCC.

CD11b+Gr-1+ myeloid cells have gained much attention due to their roles in tumor immunity suppression as well as promotion of angiogenesis, invasion, and metastases. However, the mechanisms by which CD11b+Gr-1+ myeloid cells recruit to the tumor site have not been well clarified. In the present study, we showed that hypoxia could stimulate the migration of CD11b+Gr-1+ myeloid cells through increased production of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) by head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells.