International Journal of Molecular Sciences Article Brain-Derived Neurotrophin and TrkB in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma József Dudás * , Anna Riml, Raphaela Tuertscher, Christian Pritz, Teresa Bernadette Steinbichler, Volker Hans Schartinger , Susanne Sprung, Rudolf Glueckert, Anneliese Schrott-Fischer , Lejo Johnson Chacko and Herbert Riechelmann Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria;
[email protected] (A.R.);
[email protected] (R.T.);
[email protected] (C.P.);
[email protected] (T.B.S.);
[email protected] (V.H.S.);
[email protected] (S.S.);
[email protected] (R.G.);
[email protected] (A.S.-F.);
[email protected] (L.J.C.);
[email protected] (H.R.) * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +43-512-504-82475; Fax: +43-512-504-23175 Received: 30 November 2018; Accepted: 5 January 2019; Published: 11 January 2019 Abstract: We hypothesized that in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its high affinity receptor TrkB regulate tumor cell survival, invasion, and therapy resistance. We used in situ hybridization for BDNF and immunohistochemistry (IHC) for TrkB in 131 HNSCC samples. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor was highly expressed in normal mucosa in HNSCC tissue and in cell lines, whereas only 42.74% of HNSCC tissue was TrkB+. One fourth of HNSCC cases was human papilloma virus (HPV)− positive, but the TrkB IHC frequency was not different in HPV-positive (HPV+) and negative cases.