Abstract
PurposeThe aim of this study was to confirm the expression profile of cytokeratin (CK)17 in comparison with that of CK13 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and leukoplakia and to clarify an association of CK17 with the OSCC differentiation.MaterialsThe expression of CK17 and CK13 was immunohistochemically examined in 105 patients with OSCC and 108 patients with leukoplakia. A correlation of CK expression with clinicopathological variables was carried out. The over-expression levels of CK17 mRNA were analyzed by real-time RT-PCR in 5 OSCC cell lines (HSC-2, HSC-3, SAS, SQUU-A, SQUU-B).ResultsCK17 and CK13 were detected in 101 (96.2 %) and three (2.9 %) of the 105 OSCCs, respectively. CK17 was significantly expressed in well-differentiated OSCC compared to moderately/poorly differentiated OSCC (p < 0.01). As detected in 19 of the 34 dysplastic leukoplakias (55.9 %) and 36 of the 74 hyperplastic leukoplakias (48.6 %), CK17 was significantly expressed in dysplastic leukoplakias (p < 0.01). As detected in 11 of the 34 dysplastic (32.4 %) and 52 of the 74 hyperplastic leukoplakias (70.3 %), CK13 was significantly expressed in hyperplastic leukoplakias (p < 0.01). The relative expression of CK17 mRNA in HSC-2 was significantly higher than in HSC-3 and SAS (p < 0.05). Moreover, the relative expression of CK17 mRNA in SQUU-A was significantly higher than in SQUU-B (p < 0.05).ConclusionCK17 expression could be associated with the differentiation and the malignancy of OSCC. A combination pattern of CK17/CK13 might be a suitable marker of malignant transformation.
Highlights
Despite diagnostic and therapeutic advances by introducing combination therapy including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, the 5-year survival rate of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains 70–80 % (Gorsky et al 2004; Sasaki et al 2011), because of the late-stage diagnosis and the resistance to radiotherapy or chemotherapy
Biochemical and immunohistochemical studies have indicated that OSCC expresses a wider range of CKs than normal epithelium, because cancerization of normal oral epithelium could lead to variation of diVerentiation degree (Wetzels et al 1992)
Among CKs, CK17 should be focused as a diagnostic marker of OSCC, since several studies have reported that the expression of CK17 could be detected in malignant tissues compared to normal tissues in squamous cell carcinoma of lung (Wetzels et al 1992), cervix (Carrilho et al J Cancer Res Clin Oncol (2012) 138:1299–1310
Summary
Despite diagnostic and therapeutic advances by introducing combination therapy including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, the 5-year survival rate of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains 70–80 % (Gorsky et al 2004; Sasaki et al 2011), because of the late-stage diagnosis and the resistance to radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Cytokeratins (CKs), intermediate Wlament of the cytoskeletons, are candidates for diagnostic markers of OSCC, as they are over-expressed in OSCC compared to normal mucosa (Xu et al 1995). Biochemical and immunohistochemical studies have indicated that OSCC expresses a wider range of CKs than normal epithelium, because cancerization of normal oral epithelium could lead to variation of diVerentiation degree (Wetzels et al 1992). Among CKs, CK17 should be focused as a diagnostic marker of OSCC, since several studies have reported that the expression of CK17 could be detected in malignant tissues compared to normal tissues in squamous cell carcinoma of lung (Wetzels et al 1992), cervix (Carrilho et al. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol (2012) 138:1299–1310
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