Abstract
Objective: To investigate the association between semaphorin 3A (SEMA 3A) and its receptor neuropilin 1 (NRP1) and the clinicopathologic characteristics of patients with tongue cancer. Study Design: Forty-three tongue squamous cell carcinoma specimens were included. Immunohistochemical staining of SEMA3A and NRP1 was performed on 15 normal tongue epithelium specimens and the 43 tumour specimens. Immunoreactivity was evaluated based on the staining intensity and distribution score. Statistical analyses were performed using Chi-squared and Spearman tests and Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results: SEMA3A was significantly down-regulated in tongue cancer compared with normal tongue (P=0.025), while NRP1 was over-expressed in tumours (P<0.001). SEMA3A expression inversely correlated with nodal metastasis (P=0.017). NRP1 expression did not correlate with any clinicopathological characteristics. Higher SEMA3A expression strongly predicted longer survival (P=0.005). Scores for the NRP1/SEMA3A ratio of ≥1 predicted shorter survival (P=0.045). Conclusions: Aberrant expression of SEMA3A and its receptor NRP1 might be involved in the development of tongue cancer and might be useful prognostic markers in this tumour type. Key words:Semaphorin 3A, neuropilin 1, tongue, squamous cell carcinoma.
Highlights
Tongue squamous cell carcinoma has been the leading type of oral cancer with the notorious features of early lymph node metastasis and poor survival
We focused on the most common type of oral cancer, tongue squamous cell carcinoma, and examined the expression of SEMA3A and neuropilin 1 (NRP1)
We found that no correlation existed between the expression of SEMA3A and NRP1 in tongue cancer specimens
Summary
Tongue squamous cell carcinoma has been the leading type of oral cancer with the notorious features of early lymph node metastasis and poor survival. The nervous system might exert a potential influence on the development of cancer; environmental enrichment (EE) has been shown to significantly inhibit xenograft tumour growth, but the mechanism remains elusive [6]. The role of SEMA3A in tongue squamous cell carcinoma remains unclear. We focused on the expression of SEMA3A and its receptor NRP1 in tongue cancer and the potential contribution of these molecules in the prediction of prognosis. Material and Methods -Patients and tissue samples Forty-three primary tongue squamous cell carcinoma biopsy specimens from patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2006 were obtained from the Department of Oral Pathology and the Department of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery in the Stomatologic Hospital of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University. Results -Expression of SEMA3A and NRP1 in tongue squamous cell carcinoma The immunohistochemical staining results for SEMA3A and NRP1 are presented in tables 1,2
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