OBJECTIVETo observe the expression of stromal CD34 and alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) in oral invasive cancer.

METHODSThe distribution and expression of stromal CD34 and alpha-SMA in 60 patients with invasive oral squamous cell cancer and 20 resections with tumor-free margins from 60 patients with invasive oral squamous cell cancer were examined by immunohistochemistry SP method.

RESULTSTwenty cases of resections of mucosa with tumor-free margins exhibited CD34 expression in fibrocytes cytoplasm in the vicinity of vessels, mucosa and submucosa but were free of alpha-SMA expression, only the walls of muscularized vessels stained positive for alpha-SMA in the stroma. Sixty invasive oral squamous cell carcinomas were free of stromal CD34 expression, only the endothelia of small vessels stained positive for CD34, of which 53 invasive oral squamous cell carcinomas expressed stromal alpha-SMA in myofibroblasts cytoplasm.

CONCLUSIONSThe detection of CD34 and alpha-SMA is an adjunctive tool in judging oral cancer invasion in small oral mucosa biopsy specimens based on the absence of CD34 expression paralleled by the gain of alpha-SMA in the stroma of oral invasive cancer.

Actins ; metabolism ; Adult ; Aged ; Antigens, CD34 ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Mouth Mucosa ; metabolism ; Mouth Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neoplasm Invasiveness

OBJECTIVETo investigate the changes of cytokeratin 19 during oral carcinogenesis.

METHODS53 specimens including normal oral mucosa, oral epithelial hyperplasia, oral epithelial dysplasia and oral squamous cell carcinoma were investigated by immunohistochemistry, SDS-PAGE and Western blotting.

RESULTSCK19 was detectable in suprabasal cell layers in epithelial dysplasia and in oral cancer, especially in poor-differentiated cancerous cells. With the lesions getting worse, the positive rate, the intensity and the constituent ratio of CK19 raised significantly.

CONCLUSIONSThe results suggest that the CK19 expression in suprabasal cell layers of oral mucosa can be used as a marker of diagnosis of oral precancerous lesions and CK19 expression is the initial events during oral carcinogenesis.

Adult ; Aged ; Blotting, Western ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Keratins ; analysis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mouth Mucosa ; metabolism ; pathology ; Mouth Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Precancerous Conditions ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study was to reveal the relations between expression and tumor behavior such as invasion, metastasis and prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) through analyzing the expression of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (UPA).

METHODSWith Labelled streptavidin biotin method (LsAB), the expression of UPA was analyzed in 80 cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma, 10 cases of oral normal mucosa and 10 cases of oral leukoplakia.

RESULTSCompared to oral normal mucosa and oral leukoplakia, the expression of UPA was significantly higher in SCC. The expression of UPA in SCC cases with lymph node metastasis was significantly higher than in cases without metastasis. The expression in cases with good prognosis was significantly higher than in those with poor prognosis and the expression was significantly higher in cases with invasive growth than in those with ulcerative and papillary growth.

CONCLUSIONThe results obtained indicated that high expression of UPA in SCC might be closely related to lymph node metastasis, invasive growth and poor prognosis.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Leukoplakia, Oral ; metabolism ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Mouth Mucosa ; metabolism ; Mouth Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Prognosis ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator ; biosynthesis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of MMP-2, MT1-MMP and TIMP-2 in the carcinogenesis of oral lichen planus (OLP).

METHODSImmunohistochemistry was performed to examine the expression of OLP and compare with that of NOM.

RESULTSThe expression of these proteinases significantly increased from NOM, non-atrophic OLP, to atrophic OLP and OSCC. The expression of MMP-2 and MT1-MMP in atrophic OLP was significantly higher than in non-atrophic OLP. Furthermore, the expression of TIMP-2 consequently increased with the increasing of the MMP, but the increase of TIMP-2 was less than that of MMP.

CONCLUSIONSMMP may be useful marker to judge the possibility of malignant change of OLP.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lichen Planus, Oral ; metabolism ; pathology ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 14 ; metabolism ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; metabolism ; Mouth Mucosa ; metabolism ; pathology ; Mouth Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the correlation between cyclin E protein overexpression and centrosome amplification in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

METHODSFormalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues from 12 normal oral epithelium cases and 46 cases of OSCC were studied. Their centrosome status was analyzed by indirect immunofluorescence double staining with antibodies to centrosome protein gamma-tubulin and cytokeratin. The expression of cyclin E protein was studied by immunohistochemical methods. The correlation between cyclin E protein expression and centrosome amplification in OSCC was statistically analyzed by SPSS 12.0.

RESULTSThirty-seven of the 46 OSCC cases (80.4%) studied showed evidence of centrosome amplification, as signified by enlargement and/or increase in number of centrosomes, while normal oral epithelium possessed centromeres of normal size and number. Positive staining for cyclin E protein was observed in 30 of the 46 OSCC cases (65.2%), while all the normal oral epithelium cases were cyclin E protein-negative. The percentage of centrosome amplification in OSCC with positive cyclin E protein staining (90.0%, 27/30) was higher than that in OSCC with negative cyclin E protein staining (62.5%, 10/16) (chi(2) = 5.014, P < 0.05). Centrosome amplification showed positive correlation with cyclin E protein overexpression (r = 0.330, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONUp-regulation of cyclin E protein may represent one of the possible mechanisms for centrosome amplification in OSCC.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Centrosome ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Cyclin E ; metabolism ; Epithelium ; metabolism ; pathology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Mouth Mucosa ; metabolism ; pathology ; Mouth Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Up-Regulation

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) on EDA region of fibronectin in oral squamous cell carcinoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma cells.

METHODSImmunohistochemistry and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction technique were used to detect the changes of EDA proteins and mRNAs expression.

RESULTSThe immunostaining ratio in Tca83 cells with TGF-beta1 was greatly higher than that in Tca83 cells without TGF-beta1 (P < 0.01), the immunostaining ratio in SACC-83 cells with TGF-beta1 was higher than that in SACC-83 cells without TGF-beta1 (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference between SACC-LM cells with TGF-beta1 and SACC-LM cells without TGF-beta1 (P > 0.05). In the three oral carcinoma cells, the expression of EDA(+) mRNAs in the group with TGF-beta1 was higher than that in the group without TGF-beta1 (P < 0.05). The expression of EDA(-) mRNAs in the group with TGF-beta1 was lower than that in the group without TGF-beta1 (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSTGF-beta1 could influence EDA region splicings and upregulate the expression of EDA region in Tca83, SACC-83 and SACC-LM cells, and might play an important role in accelerating oral carcinoma cells adhesion and tumor invasion and metastasis.

Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic ; metabolism ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Fibronectins ; metabolism ; Humans ; Mouth Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo detect the expression of PTEN, PIP3 and cyclin D1 in oral squamous cell carcinoma and precancerous lesions and analyze their correlation.

METHODSImmunohistochemistry SP method was used to detect the expression of PTEN, PIP3 and cyclin D1 in 63 cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma, 29 cases of simple hyperplasia, 33 cases of dysplasia, and 25 cases of normal oral mucosa.

RESULTSThe negative or low expression of PTEN in oral squamous cell carcinoma was 25%, which was remarkably lower than that in other groups. The positive expression of PIP3 in simple hyperplasia, dysplasia and oral squamous cell carcinoma was 66%, 64%, and 76% respectively, which were much higher than those in normal oral mucosa. The positive expression of cyclin D1 in oral squamous cell carcinoma was 49%, which was significantly higher than that in other groups. The negative correlation between PTEN with PIP3, cyclin D1 and the positive correlation between PIP3 and cyclin D1 were observed.

CONCLUSIONSPTEN may play a role in the oncogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma, and PTEN may down-regulate the expression of PIP3, and then down-regulate the expression of cyclin D1, which leads to the suppression of cell growth.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cyclin D1 ; metabolism ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Humans ; Mouth Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; PTEN Phosphohydrolase ; metabolism ; Precancerous Conditions ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the expression of p27 protein in oral precancerous lesions and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

METHODSImmunohistochemistry was used to detect p27, p53, murine double minute (MDM2) and p21 protein expression in a series of 13 specimens with simple hyperplasia, 44 with dysplasia and 48 with OSCC. An attempt was made to correlate the protein levels with clinicopathologic parameters and Ki-67 protein levels.

RESULTSPositive p27 staining was present in 79.55% of the dysplasia samples, as well as in 81.25% of the OSCC samples. p27 protein overexpression in OSCC group was significantly higher than that in leukoplakia group (P < 0.001). The extent of p27 expression was positively associated with Ki-67 expression (P < 0.001). Cases with p27 overexpression displayed concurrent expression of p53 and/or MDM2 (P = 0.034) in OSCC group.

CONCLUSIONSp27, p53, MDM2 and p21 may all play important roles in the genesis of OSCC. The alterations of one or more cell cycle regulators are prevalent in oral premalignant lesions and OSCC and the regulators can regulate each other.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Cycle Proteins ; metabolism ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27 ; metabolism ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mouth Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Precancerous Conditions ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo study the expression of Ki-67 and the changes of MVD and apoptosis in benign lymphoadenosis of oral mucosa (BLOM).

METHODSThe expression of Ki-67, CD34 and apoptosis were evaluated by SP immunohistochemical staining in 15 BLOM, 9 BLOM with dysplasia, 15 oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

RESULTSThe expression of Ki-67 in BOLM with dysplasia and OSCC was significantly higher than that of BLOM without dysplasia and normal oral mucosa (P < 0.05). The MVD in all BLOM and OSCC was significantly higher than that in normal mucosa (P < 0.05). Apoptosis in BLOM was higher than in normal mucosa and OSCC (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe expression of Ki-67 and MVD in BLOM with dysplasia were between normal oral mucosa and oral carcinoma. The occurrence of apoptosis in BLOM was significantly higher than in normal oral mucosa. The results suggest that BLOM had the potentiality of malignant transformation.

Apoptosis ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Ki-67 Antigen ; biosynthesis ; Lymphoproliferative Disorders ; metabolism ; pathology ; Mouth Mucosa ; pathology ; Mouth Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; Precancerous Conditions ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship of vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) and induced nitride oxide synthesizase (iNOS) expression in lymph node micrometastasis of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

METHODSSamples were obtained from 47 cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma and 15 cases with normal oral mucosa, VEGF-C and iNOS mRNA expression were detected by RT-PCR method. Lymph node micrometastasis of 10 normal lymph nodes and 355 lymph nodes from 47 cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma was detected with immunohistochemical reaction in cytokeratin antibody.

RESULTSThe percentages in tumors with higher expression were 57.4% for VEGF-C, 68.1% for iNOS (P < 0.05). They were significantly higher than that of normal groups. Significant positive relationship was found between VEGF-C and iNOS (P < 0.01). The positive rate of cytokeratin (CK) was 48.9%. Significant positive relationship was found between VEGF-C and CK, iNOS and CK (P < 0.01). The expression rates of CK in positive group of VEGF-C and iNOS were 63.0%, 65.6% respectively, and were significant higher than negative groups.

CONCLUSIONExpression of VEGF-C and iNOS in lymph node micrometastasis of oral squamous cell carcinoma is significant related.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Keratins ; metabolism ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Mouth Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neoplasm Micrometastasis ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; metabolism ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C ; metabolism