The Study
Downregulation of the α1- and β1-subunit of sGC in Arterial Smooth Muscle Cells of OPSCC Is HPV-Independent
This study looked at tissue from people with throat cancer and noticed that a certain protein was less common near the tumor than in nearby healthy tissue. It doesn't prove the cancer made the protein disappear — it just shows they often happen together.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
Tumors need more blood to grow, so they change nearby blood vessels. This study found that a key molecule (sGC) that helps blood vessels relax and stay healthy gets turned down near these tumors.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 527 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — less sGC means blood vessels can't relax properly, which may help tumors build more blood vessels to feed themselves.
- 2The sGCα1 and sGCβ1 proteins were lower in blood vessel cells next to tumors compared to those farther away.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of Dental Research
Year
2018
Authors
Y. Korkmaz, H. C. Roggendorf, O. Siefer, J. Seehawer, T. Imhof, M. Plomann, Wilhelm Bloch, A. Friebe, C. Huebbers
Related Content
Claims (6)
Nitric oxide causes blood vessel walls to relax, which allows more blood to flow through and lowers resistance in the blood vessels.
In tumors of the oropharynx, a specific molecular change in blood vessel muscle cells—reduced levels of soluble guanylyl cyclase α1 and β1 subunits—happens regardless of whether the tumor is caused by human papillomavirus.
Oxidative stress in tumors alters a key enzyme in blood vessel cells, preventing nitric oxide from relaxing blood vessels and reducing blood flow near oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma tumors.
Maintaining the sGCα1β1 protein complex in artery muscle cells reduces the formation of new blood vessels that feed oropharyngeal squamous cell tumors.
Arterial smooth muscle cells near oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma tumors show lower levels of α1- and β1-subunit proteins of soluble guanylyl cyclase than nearby healthy arterial tissue, independent of HPV status.
Lower levels of soluble guanylyl cyclase α1 and β1 proteins in arterial smooth muscle cells near oropharyngeal cancer tumors result in reduced blood vessel dilation and increased smooth muscle cell growth, promoting abnormal blood vessel development around the tumor.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.