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Impact of smoking on dendritic cells in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

Smoking has been shown to alter innate and adaptive immune responses and is directly associated with the onset of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of cigarette smoke exposure on dendritic cells (DCs) from OSCC patients. CD1a and CD83 antibodies were used to identify immature and mature DCs, respectively, by immunohistochemistry in OSCC samples of 24 smokers and 24 non-smokers. Density of DCs was calculated in intra and peritumoral areas. Clinical and microscopic findings were reviewed and analyzed for all patients. Smokers with OSCC had a lower density of intra and peritumoral DCs when compared to non-smokers. Tumors classified as moderately/poorly differentiated had lower peritumoral CD1a+ DCs than well-differentiated tumors (p < 0.001). Smoking contributed to a depletion of immature and mature DCs in the OSCC.

Mouth Neoplasms; Immunity; Cigarette Smoking

Introduction

Cigarette smoking is the primary cause of the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in Western countries.11. Dionne KR., Warnakulasuriya S., Binti Zain R., Cheong SC. Potentially malignant disorders of the oral cavity: Current practice and future directions in the clinic and laboratory. Int J Cancer. 2014 Feb;136(3):503-15. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.28754
https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.28754...
, 22. Souza RL, Fonseca-Fonseca T, Oliveira-Santos CC, Corrêa GT, Santos FB, Cardoso CM, et al. Lip squamous cell carcinoma in a Brazilian population: epidemiological study and clinicopathological associations. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal. 2011 Sep;16(6):e757-62. https://doi.org/10.4317/medoral.16954
https://doi.org/10.4317/medoral.16954...
This etiological factor has been linked to mutations in oral mucosa keratinocytes and invasion of connective tissue even though there is an antitumor immune response.33. Shalapour S, Karin M. Immunity, inflammation, and cancer: an eternal fight between good and evil. J Clin Invest. 2015 Sep;125(9):3347-55. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI80007
https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI80007...
In the oral mucosa, various dendritic cells (DCs) subsets regulate and control the tumor-specific immune response exhibiting differential pro-tumorigenic and anti-tumorigenic functions.44. Esteban F, Ruiz-Cabello F, Gonzalez-Moles MA, Lopez-Gonzalez MA, Funez R, Redondo M. Clinical significance of langerhans cells in squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. J Oncol. 2012;2012:753296. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/753296
https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/753296...

DCs provide fundamental signals for the activation of T-cells.55. Gondak RO, Alves DB, Silva LF, Mauad T, Vargas PA. Depletion of Langerhans cells in the tongue from patients with advanced-stage acquired immune deficiency syndrome: relation to opportunistic infections. Histopathology. 2012 Feb;60(3):497-503. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2559.2011.04068.x
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2559.2011...
The recognition and absorption of the antigens are given by the immature CD1a+ DCs, which through chemokines, cytokines, and surface molecules begin their maturation and displacement to regional lymph nodes interacting with T cells.66. Sato K, Fujita S. Dendritic cells: nature and classification. Allergol Int. 2007 Sep;56(3):183-91. https://doi.org/10.2332/allergolint.R-06-139
https://doi.org/10.2332/allergolint.R-06...
After maturation, the mature CD83+ DCs play a role in the differentiation of T cells into cytotoxic T eliminating neoplastic cells.66. Sato K, Fujita S. Dendritic cells: nature and classification. Allergol Int. 2007 Sep;56(3):183-91. https://doi.org/10.2332/allergolint.R-06-139
https://doi.org/10.2332/allergolint.R-06...

Smoking alters both adaptive and innate immune responses exerting a direct immunomodulatory effect on DCs.77. Sopori M. Effects of cigarette smoke on the immune system. Nat Rev Immunol. 2002 May;2(5):372-7. https://doi.org/10.1038/nri803
https://doi.org/10.1038/nri803...
Literature has diverged regarding the influence of smoking on the population of oral DCs88. Strzelak A, Ratajczak A, Adamiec A, Feleszko W. Tobacco smoke induces and alters immune responses in the lung triggering inflammation, allergy, asthma and other lung diseases: a mechanistic review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018 May;15(5):1033. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15051033
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15051033...
, 99. Givi ME, Folkerts G, Wagenaar GT, Redegeld FA, Mortaz E. Cigarette smoke differentially modulates dendritic cell maturation and function in time. Respir Res. 2015 Oct;16(1):131. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12931-015-0291-6
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12931-015-0291-...
, 1010. Qiu F, Liang CL, Liu H, Zeng YQ, Hou S, Huang S, et al. Impacts of cigarette smoking on immune responsiveness: up and down or upside down? Oncotarget. 2017 Jan;8(1):268-84. https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.13613
https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.1361...
Although initiated by tobacco carcinogens, the progression of OSCC may be associated with the inability of DCs to act locally through antitumor responses. Hence, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the density of DCs in smoker and nonsmoker patients with OSCC as well as the interference of these cells in the clinicopathologic characteristics of the tumor.

Methodology

The Ethics Committee of the AC Camargo Cancer Center and the Federal University of Santa Catarina approved this study (#00741212.8.0000.5432).

Patient population

Surgical specimens of 48 patients diagnosed with OSSC affecting the tongue, collected from 2013 to 2019 at the Department of Head and Neck, AC Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, Brazil, and Department of Pathology, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil were used for the study. Twenty four patients were cigarette smokers and 24 were non-smokers matched for sex and age. The study excluded patients with autoimmune diseases, other habits as alcohol consumption, or other neoplasms than OSSC. Smokers were considered patients who smoked more than 10 cigarettes per day for at least 10 years while non-smokers were considered patients who never smoked.1111. Cançado RP, Yurgel LS, Sant’Anna Filho M. Evaluation of the nucleolar organizer region associated proteins in exfoliative cytology of normal buccal mucosa. Effect of smoking. Oral Oncol. 2001 Jul;37(5):446-54. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1368-8375(00)00110-X
https://doi.org/10.1016/S1368-8375(00)00...
Smoking habit information was collected from medical records and confirmed by face-to-face interviews or telephone contact.

Clinical and histopathological data

Clinical data including age, sex, primary tumor location, smoking habits, and staging of the disease were obtained from clinical charts. Histological grade, lymphovascular and perineural invasion were obtained from anatomopathological records and reviewed by two expert pathologists. Additionality, the inflammatory infiltrate and pattern of invasion were assessed based on criteria used by Affonso et al.1212. Affonso VR, Montoro JR, Freitas LC, Saggioro FP, Souza L, Mamede RC. Peritumoral infiltrate in the prognosis of epidermoid carcinoma of the oral cavity. Rev Bras Otorrinolaringol (Engl Ed). 2015 Jul-Aug;81(4):416-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjorl.2014.09.010
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjorl.2014.09....
and Akhter et al.,1313. Akhter M, Hossain S, Rahman QB, Molla MR. A study on histological grading of oral squamous cell carcinoma and its co-relationship with regional metastasis. J Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2011 May;15(2):168-76. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-029X.84485
https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-029X.84485...
respectively.

Dendritic cells

OSSC specimens were fixed in 10% formalin for 24 hours. All fragments were embedded in paraffin and 3-µm thick histological sections were submitted for immunohistochemistry reactions.

The monoclonal antibodies CD1a (010, 1:200; Dako) and CD83 (1H4b, 1:40; Novocastra, Newcastle, UK) were used to identify immature and mature DCs from the oral mucosa, respectively. Normal skin tissue was used as a CD1a positive control and normal tonsil as a CD83 positive control, according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Antigen retrieval with citrate buffer (pH 6.0) at 96°C for 40 minutes was performed for both antibodies. The slides were incubated with secondary antibodies conjugated with biotin (LSAB, Dako, Glostrup; Denmark) for 30 min at 37°C, followed by streptavidin-HRP (Dako, Glostrup; Denmark) for another 30 min and developed with a chromogenic substrate (3,3 diaminobenzidine, Sigma, St Louis, MO, USA). The slides were counterstained with Harris hematoxylin. Negative controls were carried out for each reaction by omitting the primary antibodies.

The quantification of CD1a+ and CD83+ cells were obtained using ImageJ 1.53a software (National Institutes of Health, USA). The analysis was performed by two experienced oral pathologists, who were blinded (ICC=0.972; 95% CI 0.906-0.992). Five high-power fields in high magnification (400x) for each sample, were captured with a digital camera (Canon A620, Ōita, Japan) coupled to a light microscope (Axiostar Plus, Carl Zeiss, Oberkochen, Germany). Intra and peritumoral areas were analyzed and the results expressed as positive cells per square millimeter (+cells/ mm22. Souza RL, Fonseca-Fonseca T, Oliveira-Santos CC, Corrêa GT, Santos FB, Cardoso CM, et al. Lip squamous cell carcinoma in a Brazilian population: epidemiological study and clinicopathological associations. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal. 2011 Sep;16(6):e757-62. https://doi.org/10.4317/medoral.16954
https://doi.org/10.4317/medoral.16954...
).

Statistical analysis

The comparison of immunostained DCs between the groups was performed by the Student t-test. Clinical and microscopic findings were analyzed by Pearson Chi-Square or Fisher’s exact test when appropriate, for categorical variables, and by the Mann-Whitney or Kruskal-Wallis test for continuous variables. A p-value of <0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. The statistical software SPSS version 23.0 was used for the analyses.

Results

Patient population

The mean age of non-smoker and smoker patients with OSCC was 55.2 and 59.8 years, respectively. There was a predominance of female patients in both groups. Stages I and II for OSCC were identified in 75% of the non-smokers and 66.7% of the smokers. Additional data are shown in Table 1 .

Table 1
Clinical and microscopic findings in the different groups with oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Microscopic findings

Most smokers and non-smokers presented tumors classified as well-differentiated. Most cases in both groups had no lymphovascular invasion. Perineural invasion was identified in 75% of non-smokers and 58.3% of smokers.

Dendritic cells quantification

Non-smokers had a higher density of intratumoral CD1a+ DCs than smokers (p < 0.001). There was no difference in the density of intratumoral CD83+ DCs between groups ( Table 2 ). Regarding the peritumoral compartment, non-smokers had a higher density of CD1a+ and CD83+ DCs than smokers (p = 0.012 and p = 0.010, respectively). Tumors classified as poorly differentiated had a lower density of peritumoral CD1a+ DCs than tumors classified as well-differentiated (p < 0.001) ( Table 3 ). Additional data are shown in Figure .

Table 2
Quantification of intra and peritumoral CD1a+ and CD83+ cells (cells/mm2 ± standard deviation) in the different groups with oral squamous cell carcinoma.
Table 3
Comparison between clinicopathologic findings and the number of intra and peritumoral dendritic cells in oral squamous cell carcinoma patients (median and interquartile range).

Figure
Immunohistochemical expression of CD1a+ and CD83+ cells in the tongue of non-smokers and smokers with oral squamous cell carcinoma. CD1a+ cells in non-smokers and smokers (A and B respectively). CD83+ cells in non-smokers and smokers (C and D respectively). High magnification (x400).

Discussion

This study demonstrated the impact of chronic tobacco smoke exposure on the population of mature and immature DCs in OSCC. In agreement with previous studies in the lung, smoking impacts DCs having profound effects on immune responsiveness.1414. Moszczyński P, Zabiński Z, Moszczyński P Jr, Rutowski J, Słowiński S, Tabarowski Z. Immunological findings in cigarette smokers. Toxicol Lett. 2001 Jan;118(3):121-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-4274(00)00270-8
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-4274(00)00...
, 1515. Robbins CS, Franco F, Mouded M, Cernadas M, Shapiro SD. Cigarette smoke exposure impairs dendritic cell maturation and T cell proliferation in thoracic lymph nodes of mice. J Immunol. 2008 May;180(10):6623-8. https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.180.10.6623
https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.180.10....
Although some studies have evaluated the number of DCs in oral cancer,1616. Gomes JO, de Vasconcelos Carvalho M, Fonseca FP, Gondak RO, Lopes MA, Vargas PA. CD1a+ and CD83+ Langerhans cells are reduced in lower lip squamous cell carcinoma. J Oral Pathol Med. 2016 Jul;45(6):433-9. https://doi.org/10.1111/jop.12389
https://doi.org/10.1111/jop.12389...
, 1717. Jardim JF, Gondak R, Galvis MM, Pinto CA, Kowalski LP. A decreased peritumoral CD1a+ cell number predicts a worse prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Histopathology. 2018 May;72(6):905-13. https://doi.org/10.1111/his.13415
https://doi.org/10.1111/his.13415...
to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the population of mature and immature DCs in OSSC samples without tobacco interference.

Souto et al.1818. Souto GR, Segundo TK, Costa FO, Aguiar MC, Mesquita RA. Effect of smoking on Langerhans and dendritic cells in patients with chronic gingivitis. J Periodontol. 2011 Apr;82(4):619-25. https://doi.org/10.1902/jop.2010.100488
https://doi.org/10.1902/jop.2010.100488...
showed a lower number of immature and mature DCs in chronic gingivitis of smoking patients than in non-smoking patients suggesting there is a harmful tobacco effect on DCs. In our study, non-smoker patients had a higher number of mature and immature DCs in the peritumoral compartments than smokers, corroborating previous studies.77. Sopori M. Effects of cigarette smoke on the immune system. Nat Rev Immunol. 2002 May;2(5):372-7. https://doi.org/10.1038/nri803
https://doi.org/10.1038/nri803...
, 99. Givi ME, Folkerts G, Wagenaar GT, Redegeld FA, Mortaz E. Cigarette smoke differentially modulates dendritic cell maturation and function in time. Respir Res. 2015 Oct;16(1):131. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12931-015-0291-6
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12931-015-0291-...
, 1515. Robbins CS, Franco F, Mouded M, Cernadas M, Shapiro SD. Cigarette smoke exposure impairs dendritic cell maturation and T cell proliferation in thoracic lymph nodes of mice. J Immunol. 2008 May;180(10):6623-8. https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.180.10.6623
https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.180.10....

There are several methods of smoking assessment such as online questionnaire, paper-based questionnaire, and direct face-to-face interview. Some studies have shown face-to-face self-report of cigarette smoking status to be valid.1919. From Attebring M, Herlitz J, Berndt AK, Karlsson T, Hjalmarson A. Are patients truthful about their smoking habits? A validation of self-report about smoking cessation with biochemical markers of smoking activity amongst patients with ischaemic heart disease. J Intern Med. 2001 Feb;249(2):145-51. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2796.2001.00770.x
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, 2020. Yeager DS, Krosnick JA. The validity of self-reported nicotine product use in the 2001-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Med Care. 2010 Dec;48(12):1128-32. https://doi.org/10.1097/MLR.0b013e3181ef9948
https://doi.org/10.1097/MLR.0b013e3181ef...
In addition, online assessment of cigarette smoking status and paper-based methods have been shown to have similar accuracy.2121. Steffen MW, Murad MH, Hays JT, Newcomb RD, Molella RG, Cha SS, et al. Self-report of tobacco use status: comparison of paper-based questionnaire, online questionnaire, and direct face-to-face interview—implications for meaningful use. Popul Health Manag. 2014 Jun;17(3):185-9. https://doi.org/10.1089/pop.2013.0051
https://doi.org/10.1089/pop.2013.0051...
In this study, smoking habits were collected from medical records and confirmed by face-to-face interviews or telephone contact ensuring the reliability of the data obtained.

Depending on the state of maturation, DCs play an important role in the immune response.2222. Nowak M, Krämer B, Haupt M, Papapanou PN, Kebschull J, Hoffmann P, et al. Activation of invariant NK T cells in periodontitis lesions. J Immunol. 2013 Mar;190(5):2282-91. https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.1201215
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Many different subtypes of immature DCs (CD1a+, CD207+, and S100+) and mature DCs (CD83+ and CD208+) have been described,2323. Matos FT, Rizo VH, Almeida LY, Tirapelli C, Silva-Sousa YT, Almeida OP, et al. Immunophenotypic characterization and distribution of dendritic cells in odontogenic cystic lesions. Oral Dis. 2013 Jan;19(1):85-91. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1601-0825.2012.01960.x
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, 2424. Katou F, Ohtani H, Nakayama T, Nagura H, Yoshie O, Motegi K. Differential expression of CCL19 by DC-Lamp+ mature dendritic cells in human lymph node versus chronically inflamed skin. J Pathol. 2003 Jan;199(1):98-106. https://doi.org/10.1002/path.1255
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, 2525. Motta RJ, Tirapelli C, Juns da Silva R, Villafuerte KR, Almeida LY, Ribeiro-Silva A, et al. Immature, but not mature, dendritic cells are more often present in aggressive periodontitis than chronic periodontitis: an immunohistochemical study. J Periodontol. 2016 Dec;87(12):1499-507. https://doi.org/10.1902/jop.2016.150729
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, 2626. Fernandes DT, van Heerden WF, Ribeiro AC, Brandão TB, Mello ES, Rivera C, et al. Different methods of cell quantification can lead to different results: a comparison of digital methods using a pilot study of dendritic cells in HIV-positive patients. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal. 2020 May;25(3):e431-8. https://doi.org/10.4317/medoral.23472
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making it difficult to compare the studies. In the present study, we used the CD1a and CD83 markers for immature and mature DCs, respectively, since they are recognized and well-accepted DCs maturation markers in formalin fixed paraffin-embedded human tissues.55. Gondak RO, Alves DB, Silva LF, Mauad T, Vargas PA. Depletion of Langerhans cells in the tongue from patients with advanced-stage acquired immune deficiency syndrome: relation to opportunistic infections. Histopathology. 2012 Feb;60(3):497-503. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2559.2011.04068.x
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2559.2011...
, 1616. Gomes JO, de Vasconcelos Carvalho M, Fonseca FP, Gondak RO, Lopes MA, Vargas PA. CD1a+ and CD83+ Langerhans cells are reduced in lower lip squamous cell carcinoma. J Oral Pathol Med. 2016 Jul;45(6):433-9. https://doi.org/10.1111/jop.12389
https://doi.org/10.1111/jop.12389...
, 1717. Jardim JF, Gondak R, Galvis MM, Pinto CA, Kowalski LP. A decreased peritumoral CD1a+ cell number predicts a worse prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Histopathology. 2018 May;72(6):905-13. https://doi.org/10.1111/his.13415
https://doi.org/10.1111/his.13415...

Smoking has been shown to modulate the DC-mediated immune response by affecting both maturation and function of DCs.99. Givi ME, Folkerts G, Wagenaar GT, Redegeld FA, Mortaz E. Cigarette smoke differentially modulates dendritic cell maturation and function in time. Respir Res. 2015 Oct;16(1):131. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12931-015-0291-6
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12931-015-0291-...
Cigarette smoke alters the DCs maturation within the lymph nodes reducing cell surface expression of MHC and the costimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86.1313. Akhter M, Hossain S, Rahman QB, Molla MR. A study on histological grading of oral squamous cell carcinoma and its co-relationship with regional metastasis. J Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2011 May;15(2):168-76. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-029X.84485
https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-029X.84485...
On the other hand, cigarette smoke can be associated with tissue damage and induction of inflammation, activating differentiation of DCs.2727. Liao SX, Ding T, Rao XM, Sun DS, Sun PP, Wang YJ, et al. Cigarette smoke affects dendritic cell maturation in the small airways of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Mol Med Rep. 2015 Jan;11(1):219-25. https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2014.2759
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, 2828. Zanini A, Spanevello A, Baraldo S, Majori M, Della Patrona S, Gumiero F, et al. Decreased maturation of dendritic cells in the central airways of COPD patients is associated with VEGF, TGF-β and vascularity. Respiration. 2014;87(3):234-42. https://doi.org/10.1159/000356749
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A high density of immature DCs was associated with decreased antigen presentation2929. Herber DL, Cao W, Nefedova Y, Novitskiy SV, Nagaraj S, Tyurin VA, et al. Lipid accumulation and dendritic cell dysfunction in cancer. Nat Med. 2010 Aug;16(8):880-6. https://doi.org/10.1038/nm.2172
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and inhibition of T-cell proliferation and activity.3030. Kusmartsev S, Nefedova Y, Yoder D, Gabrilovich DI. Antigen-specific inhibition of CD8+ T cell response by immature myeloid cells in cancer is mediated by reactive oxygen species. J Immunol. 2004 Jan;172(2):989-99. https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.172.2.989
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Some in vitro studies using monocyte-derived DCs exposed to varying doses of nicotine3131. Aicher A, Heeschen C, Mohaupt M, Cooke JP, Zeiher AM, Dimmeler S. Nicotine strongly activates dendritic cell-mediated adaptive immunity: potential role for progression of atherosclerotic lesions. Circulation. 2003 Feb;107(4):604-11. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.CIR.0000047279.42427.6D
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, 3232. Nouri-Shirazi M, Guinet E. Evidence for the immunosuppressive role of nicotine on human dendritic cell functions. Immunology. 2003 Jul;109(3):365-73. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2567.2003.01655.x
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and cigarette smoke3333. Vassallo R, Tamada K, Lau JS, Kroening PR, Chen L. Cigarette smoke extract suppresses human dendritic cell function leading to preferential induction of Th-2 priming. J Immunol. 2005 Aug;175(4):2684-91. https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.175.4.2684
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have shown a negative effect on DCs functionality. Besides, tumor cells can escape immunologic response inducing DC disability and reduce lymphocytic function.3434. Hilly O, Strenov Y, Rath-Wolfson L, Hod R, Shkedy Y, Mizrachi A, et al. The predictive value of dendritic cells in early squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. Pathol Res Pract. 2016 Dec;212(12):1138-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prp.2016.09.011
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prp.2016.09.01...
In the current study, non-smoker patients had a higher density of immature DCs in the intratumoral compartments. However, there was no difference in mature DC density between smokers and nonsmokers in this compartment. Possibly, the smoking habit does not interfere in the process of maturation of DCs inside the tumor islands.

In tumoral tissues, immature DCs migrate, recognize, and capture antigens in response to the production of chemokines acquiring a mature phenotype.66. Sato K, Fujita S. Dendritic cells: nature and classification. Allergol Int. 2007 Sep;56(3):183-91. https://doi.org/10.2332/allergolint.R-06-139
https://doi.org/10.2332/allergolint.R-06...
Mature DCs lose the ability to respond to the inflammatory chemokines but proceed to respond to the CCL19 and CCL21 chemokines migrating to the lymph nodes to present antigens to T cells.66. Sato K, Fujita S. Dendritic cells: nature and classification. Allergol Int. 2007 Sep;56(3):183-91. https://doi.org/10.2332/allergolint.R-06-139
https://doi.org/10.2332/allergolint.R-06...

In a previous study, the number of Langerhans cells, a subpopulation of DCs, was considered an independent prognostic marker for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC).3535. Kindt N, Descamps G, Seminerio I, Bellier J, Lechien JR, Pottier C, et al. Langerhans cell number is a strong and independent prognostic factor for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Oral Oncol. 2016 Nov;62:1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oraloncology.2016.08.016
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oraloncology.2...
The peritumoral density of CD1a+ DCs was associated with improved prognosis and reduced recurrence.3636. Goldman SA, Baker E, Weyant RJ, Clarke MR, Myers JN, Lotze MT. Peritumoral CD1a-positive dendritic cells are associated with improved survival in patients with tongue carcinoma. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1998 Jun;124(6):641-6. https://doi.org/10.1001/archotol.124.6.641
https://doi.org/10.1001/archotol.124.6.6...
HNSCC patients who smoked had worse prognoses when fewer immature DCs were present in intra- and peritumoral compartments.3535. Kindt N, Descamps G, Seminerio I, Bellier J, Lechien JR, Pottier C, et al. Langerhans cell number is a strong and independent prognostic factor for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Oral Oncol. 2016 Nov;62:1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oraloncology.2016.08.016
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oraloncology.2...
The peritumoral density of CD1a+ DCs was higher in OSCC patients with N0 disease.3737. Kikuchi K, Kusama K, Taguchi K, Ishikawa F, Okamoto M, Shimada J, et al. Dendritic cells in human squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. Anticancer Res. 2002 Mar-Apr;22(2A)545-57. However, the previous studies included samples of patients with OSCC in various oral cavity subsites and different stages of the disease that may influence DC density. For the current study, there was no difference in the density of DCs between the different stages of the disease. However, there was a significant decrease in the density of peritumoral CD1a+ DCs in poorly differentiated tumors. Thus, it is suggested that tumors with more aggressive behavior tend to have fewer peritumoral immature DCs.

Our results showed a predominance of females with OSCC who did not smoke cigarettes. Other studies found also a predominance of females among non-smokers with OSCC.3838. Koo K, Barrowman R, McCullough M, Iseli T, Wiesenfeld D. Non-smoking non-drinking elderly females: a clinically distinct subgroup of oral squamous cell carcinoma patients. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2013 Aug;42(8):929-33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijom.2013.04.010
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijom.2013.04.0...
, 3939. Dediol E, Sabol I, Virag M, Grce M, Muller D, Manojlović S. HPV prevalence and p16INKa overexpression in non-smoking non-drinking oral cavity cancer patients. Oral Dis. 2016 Sep;22(6):517-22. https://doi.org/10.1111/odi.12476
https://doi.org/10.1111/odi.12476...
Additional etiological factors besides smoking may be associated with OSCC such as HPV infection, presence of synchronous cancer in the upper aerodigestive tract, infection by hepatitis A and C virus, race, immune deficiencies, or genetic alterations.3939. Dediol E, Sabol I, Virag M, Grce M, Muller D, Manojlović S. HPV prevalence and p16INKa overexpression in non-smoking non-drinking oral cavity cancer patients. Oral Dis. 2016 Sep;22(6):517-22. https://doi.org/10.1111/odi.12476
https://doi.org/10.1111/odi.12476...
, 4040. Hussein AA, Helder MN, Visscher JG, Leemans CR, Braakhuis BJ, Vet HC, et al. Global incidence of oral and oropharynx cancer in patients younger than 45 years versus older patients: A systematic review. Eur J Cancer. 2017 Sep;82:115-27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2017.05.026
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2017.05.0...

The current study had some limitations. We focused on tobacco being the main etiological factor for cancer. However, other factors could affect the DC population, such as viral infections by EBV or HPV and nutritional factors. Moreover, this study was conducted to assess the interference of the population of DCs in tumors located exclusively on the tongue. Further studies are needed with samples from different anatomical regions of the oral cavity, since tobacco can interfere differently in these regions as well as subpopulations of DCs can express different responses.

DCs have a central role in controlling the tumor microenvironment and immune responses during OSCC development. Probably some subtypes of DCs are more susceptible to substances contained in cigarettes such as nicotine, which is recognized to have a suppressive effect on myeloid DCs. The knowledge of how smoking affects the recruitment of immune effector cells may elucidate the mechanisms involved during carcinogenesis. The literature regarding the role of DCs in OSCC is highly controversial, possibly due to varied research methodologies and patient populations. Hence, larger studies of inhomogeneous patient populations are needed to determine the role of DCs within and around tumors.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated the impact of chronic exposure to tobacco smoke on the population of DCs in OSCC patients possibly contributing to higher tumor aggressiveness.

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a grant from the Brazilian agency CNPq (Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, Proc. Nr. 458601/2014-4).

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Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    03 Sept 2021
  • Date of issue
    2021

History

  • Received
    2 Aug 2020
  • Accepted
    12 Dec 2020
  • Reviewed
    18 Feb 2021
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