Tissue factor is strongly expressed in pericarcinomatous tissue in patients with laryngeal carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to understand the relationship between tissue factor (TF) and laryngeal carcinoma. METHODS Differences in TF expression between pericarcinomatous and carcinomatous tissues were studied in patients with laryngeal carcinoma; the potential clinical significance of the observed differences is discussed. Immunohistochemical, western blot, and RT-PCR analyses were performed to assess the expression of TF at the protein and mRNA levels, and differences between pericarcinomatous and carcinomatous tissues in patients (n = 20) with laryngeal carcinoma were analyzed. RESULTS Expression of TF was significantly higher in pericarcinomatous tissues than in carcinomatous tissues (P < 0.01); furthermore, the intensity of TF mRNA expression was also significantly stronger in pericarcinomatous than in carcinomatous tissue (P < 0.001). Robust expression of TF was observed in pericarcinomatous tissues but not in carcinomatous tissues. CONCLUSION TF may contribute to the carcinogenesis and development of laryngeal carcinoma and may provide a marker for assessment of the degree of malignancy and the progression of laryngeal carcinoma. TF may also provide a new target for therapeutics for human head and neck cancer.