Correlation of metabolism/hypoxia markers and fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in oral squamous cell carcinomas.

Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between the uptake of (18)F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG) by positron emission tomography-computerized tomography (PET-CT) and glucose metabolism/hypoxia markers in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Study Design: Thirty-six patients with OSCC (tongue [n = 23], buccal mucosa [n = 7], and floor of the mouth [n = 6]) were assessed and underwent incisional biopsy and subsequently received FDG-PET-CT. Expressions of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), glucose transporter protein 1 (GLUT-1), hexokinase-II (HK-II), and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) were immunohistochemically quantified, and FDG uptake was evaluated by the maximum standardized uptake values (SUV(max)) at the primary tumor site.

Results: FDG uptake was found to be significantly correlated with the T classification of OSCC but not with other clinicopathologic characteristics, such as the N classification, clinical type, and histologic grade of malignancy. In the early-stage (T1 and T2) tumor, FDG uptake was significantly associated with the expression levels of GLUT-1, HK II, and HIF-1α, and the expression levels of GLUT-1 and HK-II significantly correlated with HIF-1α expression levels. However, there were no correlations between the expression levels of these molecules and SUV(max) in the late-stage (T3 and T4) tumor.

Conclusions: FDG uptake was significantly associated with the expression levels of glucose metabolism-related molecules, such as GLUT-1, HK II, and HIF-1α, especially in early-stage tumors.