OBJECTIVETo investigate the expressions of stathmin gene and its coding protein in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, and to explore the relationship between stathmin gene and the biological behaviors of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma for understanding the tumorigenicity and development of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

METHODSLaryngeal carcinoma tissues (studying group) in the tumors center and laryngeal normal tissues (control group) parted from 1.0 cm of the safe borderline of the tumors were took from 38 patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma while they were in operation. Semiquantitative method of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to analyze the expression level of stathmin mRNA, and immunohistochemical staining (frozen section) was used to detect the expressions of stathmin protein, in laryngeal carcinoma tissues and laryngeal normal tissues of 38 cases, respectively.

RESULTSmRNA of stathmin gene was all positively expressed in laryngeal carcinoma tissues and in laryngeal normal tissues of 38 cases by RT-PCR. However, stathmin mRNA was obviously overexpressed in laryngeal carcinoma tissues than that in laryngeal normal tissues (t = 9.655, P < 0.05). Immunohistochemical staining showed stathmin protein was positively expressed in laryngeal carcinoma tissues of 26 cases (26/38, 68.4%), and mild-positively expressed in laryngeal normal tissues in 13 cases (13/38, 34.2%). There was significant difference between the expression rate of stathmin protein in laryngeal carcinoma tissues and in laryngeal normal tissues (chi2 = 8.901, P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the expression level of stathmin mRNA and the positive-expressed rate of stathmin protein in laryngeal carcinoma tissues of the advanced stage patients group (III stage and IV stage) were significantly higher than these in laryngeal carcinoma tissues of I and II stage patients group (t = 6.284, chi2 = 5.810, P < 0.05), and they were also significantly higher in laryngeal carcinoma tissues of the patients group with cervical lymph node metastasis than in laryngeal carcinoma tissues of the patients group without cervical lymph node metastasis (t = 9.350, chi2 = 6.923, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe expression levels of stathmin gene and protein were significantly higher in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma than these in laryngeal normal tissues, the levels are also significantly higher in advanced stage patients group (III stage and IV stage) than in the early stage patients group (I and II), and they are also related to the cervical lymph node metastasis of carcinoma. Stathmin gene may play an important role in the pathogenesis and development of laryngeal carcinoma and may be related to its prognosis.