Salivary and tissue CD44 expression in laryngeal cancer

The most common malignant tumor of head and neck cancer is laryngeal carcinoma, often diagnosed at advanced stages, underscoring the need for reliable diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. This study investigates the correlation between CD44 expression in tumor tissues and its soluble fraction (CD44sol) in saliva, evaluating their potential as diagnostic and prognostic markers. The study was conducted on 74 patients with laryngeal carcinoma. CD44 expression in tumor tissues was assessed using immunohistochemical techniques, while salivary CD44sol levels were measured using Enzyme Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA). A significant statistical correlation was found between CD44 tumor expression and salivary CD44sol levels. Furthermore, CD44 expression was identified as a prognostic biomarker for low-grade tumors, and metastatic lymphadenopathy at diagnosis. Similarly, positive salivary CD44sol levels were identified as predictive factors for low-grade tumors, tumor site, and lymph node metastasis at diagnosis. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate a significant correlation between salivary levels and tumor tissue expression of CD44 in patients with laryngeal cancer.