Associação Portuguesa de Investigação em Cancro
EMMPRIN expression in oral squamous cell carcinomas: correlation with tumor proliferation and patient survival
EMMPRIN expression in oral squamous cell carcinomas: correlation with tumor proliferation and patient survival
Authors and Afilliations:
Luís Silva Monteiro1,2, Maria Leonor Delgado1, Sara Ricardo3,4, Fernanda Garcez3, Barbas do Amaral1,2,5, Júlio Pacheco1,2, Carlos Lopes6, Hassan Bousbaa1,7,8
1 CESPU, Molecular Oncology Group, Institute of Research and Advanced Training in Health Sciences and Technologies (IINFACTS), Higher Institute of Health Sciences, Paredes, 4585-116, Portugal
2 Medicine and Oral Surgery Department, Higher Institute of Health Sciences, Paredes, 4585-116, Portugal
3 Pathology Department, Higher School of Health of Vale do Sousa, Paredes, 4585-116, Portugal
4 Differentiation and Cancer Group, Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto, (IPATIMUP), Porto, 4200-465, Portugal
5 Stomatology Department, Hospital de Santo António, Oporto Hospitalar Centre, Porto, 4099-001, Portugal
6 Molecular Pathology and Immunology Department, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Porto University, Porto, 4050-313, Portugal
7 Centro de Química Medicinal da Universidade do Porto (CEQUIMED-UP), Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
8 Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIIMAR/CIMAR), Universidade do Porto, Rua dos Bragas 289, 4050-123 Porto, Portugal
Abstract:
The aim of our study was to explore the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) expression in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC), and its relation with the proliferative tumor status of OSCC. We examined EMMPRIN and Ki-67 proteins expression by immunohistochemistry in 74 cases with OSCC. Statistical analysis was conducted to examine their clinicopathological and prognostic significance in OSCC. EMMPRIN membrane expression was observed in all cases, with both membrane and cytoplasmic tumor expression in 61 cases (82.4%). EMMPRIN overexpression was observed in 56 cases (75.7%). Moderate or poorly differentiated tumors showed EMMPRIN overexpression more frequently than well differentiated tumors (P = 0.002). Overexpression of EMMPRIN was correlated with high Ki-67 expression (P = 0.004). In the multivariate analysis, EMMPRIN overexpression reveals an adverse independent prognostic value for cancer-specific survival (CSS) (P = 0.034). Our results reveal that EMMPRIN protein is overexpressed in more than two thirds of OSCC cases, especially in high proliferative and less differentiated tumors. The independent value of EMMPRIN overexpression in CSS suggests that this protein could be used as an important biological prognostic marker for patients with OSCC. Moreover the high expression of EMMPRIN makes it a possible therapeutic target in OSCC patients.
Journal: BioMed Research International
