Lack of correlation between expression of HIF-1alpha protein and oxygenation status in identical tissue areas of squamous cell carcinomas of the uterine cervix.

Abstract

Hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) has been proposed as a candidate endogenous marker of tumor hypoxia and as a molecular mediator of hypoxia-driven malignant progression and acquired treatment resistance. In this study, HIF-1alpha expression in 68 biopsies of oxygenation measurement tracks from squamous cell carcinomas of the uterine cervix of 38 patients was assessed. Expression of HIF-1alpha was commonly found to increase as a function of distance from microvessels, at the center of tumor cell aggregations, and in the vicinity of necrotic areas. However, there was no correlation of HIF-1alpha expression with median oxygen tension (oxygen partial pressure; pO2) and hypoxic fractions (hypoxic fraction < 2.5 mm Hg, hypoxic fraction < 5 mm Hg). The results indicate that HIF-1alpha should not be used as an endogenous marker of tumor hypoxia in locally advanced squamous cell carcinomas of the uterine cervix. Additionally, no significant prognostic impact of HIF-1alpha expression was found in this group of patients.