Preliminary Extracellular Vesicle Profiling in Drainage Fluid After Neck Dissection in OSCC

Abstract

Lymph node metastasis is related to poor prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), and few studies have explored the relevance of postoperative drainage fluid (PDF) in metastasis. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanosized vesicles that can transfer oncogenic molecules to regulate tumorigenesis. However, the proteomic profile of postoperative drainage fluid–derived EVs (PDF-EVs) in OSCC has not been elucidated. Herein, we collected drainage fluid from OSCC patients after neck dissection to investigate the difference in PDF-EVs between patients with metastatic lymph nodes (the LN+ group) and nonmetastatic lymph nodes (the LN− group). The proteomic profile of PDF-EVs from the LN+ and LN− groups was compared using label-free liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry–based protein quantification. The results revealed that PDF-EVs were mainly derived from epithelial cells and immune cells. A total of 2,134 proteins in the PDF-EVs were identified, and 313 were differentially expressed between the LN+ and LN− groups. Metabolic proteins, such as EHD2 and CAVIN1, were expressed at higher levels in the LN+ group than in the LN− group, and the levels of EHD2 and CAVIN1 in the postoperative drainage fluid were positively correlated with lymph node metastasis. Our study revealed previously undocumented postoperative drainage fluid–associated proteins in patients with metastatic OSCC, providing a starting point for understanding their role in metastatic and nonmetastatic OSCC.

EH domain‐containing protein 2 (EHD2): Overview, biological function, and therapeutic potential

“…In recent years, the role of EHD2 in various types of carcinoma has attracted considerable attention. Studies have indicated that EHD2 may function differently depending on the type of cancer, serving as either a tumor suppressor 82 or an oncogene 83 involved in tumor progression and metastasis. On the one hand, this may be due to the different effects of EHD2 on different tissues.…”

The Roles of Exosomes in the Diagnose, Development and Therapeutic Resistance of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

“…Drainage fluid enters lymph circulation through lymphatic vessels, playing an important role in immunity [64]. Wang et al, found 313 differential protein expression in drainage fluid-derived exosomes isolated from OSCC patients with or without lymph node metastasis by performing a proteome quantitative analysis [55]. They suggested drainage fluid-derived exosomes may serve as a potential metastasis marker for OSCC.…”

Lymph node metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma: Where we are and where we are going

“…This discovery has paved the new way for studying the relationship between EVs and LNM in OSCC through postoperative drainage fluid. 107 However, there is still a long way to go for the clinical translation of these laboratory findings. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and tissue microarray have proven beneficial for better understanding the heterogeneity and connections between metastatic lymph nodes and primary OSCC.…”

“…Our team's recent research confirmed the enrichment of EVs in the postoperative drainage fluid of OSCC patients and discovered two metabolic proteins, EHD2 and CAVIN1, to be strongly correlated with LNM. This discovery has paved the new way for studying the relationship between EVs and LNM in OSCC through postoperative drainage fluid 107 . However, there is still a long way to go for the clinical translation of these laboratory findings.…”