Abstract
A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motif 14 (ADAMTS14) is a member of the zinc-dependent protease family that is implicated in the occurrence and progression of tumors. Oral cancer (OC) is a common cancer worldwide, but it is particularly prevalent in Taiwan. However, whether the expression of ADAMTS14 is correlated with the carcinogenesis and progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has not yet been investigated. In this study, we used immunohistochemistry (IHC) to examine 250 OSCC specimens in order to identify correlations between the cytoplasmic expression of ADAMTS14 and (1) clinicopathological features of OSCC as well as (2) clinical outcomes of OSCC. Our results indicate that cytoplasmic expression of ADAMTS14 was lower in OSCC tissues than in normal tissues. In analyzing correlations between ADAMTS14 expression and clinicopathological features, we found that negative cytoplasmic expression of ADAMTS14 was significantly associated with higher frequencies of lymph node metastasis and more advanced AJCC stages (III/IV). Kaplan–Meier survival analysis revealed that negative cytoplasmic expression of ADAMTS14 was also associated with significantly worse OSCC survival. Univariate and multivariate analyses confirmed that cytoplasmic expression of ADAMTS14 was associated with lymph node metastasis, tumor stage, and tumor grade and also indicated that cytoplasmic ADAMTS14 expression may be an independent prognostic factor for OSCC. This is the first study to report that the cytoplasmic expression level of ADAMTS14 is associated with OSCC prognosis and tumor progression. Our data indicate that ADAMTS14 can serve as a prognostic marker and a potential therapeutic target for OSCC.
Highlights
Oral cancer (OC) is a type of head and neck cancer, and the main sites of OC are often located in the lips, tongue, mouth, cheeks, gums, or palate [1]
More than 300,000 cases of OC have been newly diagnosed, OC-related morbidity and mortality have increased in younger populations [2], and more than 50% of Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients have been found to have a high rate of lymph node metastasis (LNM) [9]
Improvements in surgical techniques have not improved the morbidity and mortality rates associated with OSCC [9]
Summary
Oral cancer (OC) is a type of head and neck cancer, and the main sites of OC are often located in the lips, tongue, mouth, cheeks, gums, or palate [1]. Diagnostics 2020, 10, 122 causing more than 145,000 deaths per year; OC is more common in men who smoke and drink excessively [2]. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a type of malignant cancer that is common in Taiwan [3], India, and other Southeast Asian countries [4]. More than 300,000 cases of OC have been newly diagnosed, OC-related morbidity and mortality have increased in younger populations [2], and more than 50% of OSCC patients have been found to have a high rate of lymph node metastasis (LNM) [9]. Despite recent advances in radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and traditional surgery, once an OSCC patient is diagnosed with LNM, the 5-year survival rate drops from 80% to less than 40% [10,11]. Identifying reliable biomarkers that can be detected early could greatly benefit OSCC treatment
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