OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the expression and relationship of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in normal oral mucosa, oral leukoplakia (OLK), and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). This work also analyzed the relationship between expression levels and clinical factors. This study evaluated the clinical value of LC3B and mTOR as indices to determine the carcinogenic potential of OLK. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of LC3B and mTOR in 20 cases of normal oral mucosa, 120 cases of OLK, and 30 cases of OSCC. The clinical data of 120 patients with OLK were analyzed. The relationships between expression levels and clinical factors were investigated. RESULTS: In normal oral mucosa, OLK and OSCC, the positive rates of LC3B expression were 85.0%, 65.8% and 33.3% (P<0.05), whereas the positive rates of mTOR expression were 20.0%, 48.3% and 76.7% (P<0.05). The expression levels of LC3B and mTOR were correlated and related to clinical typing of OLK (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS LC3B and mTOR can be used as molecular biomarkers for early detection of OLK.
Biomarkers, Tumor ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; Humans ; Leukoplakia, Oral ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; metabolism ; Mouth Mucosa ; Mouth Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship of Fas mRNA and protein expression and apoptosis in human oral squamous cell carcinoma.

METHODSNorthern blot and flow cytometry (TUNEL method) were used to detect the expression of Fas mRNA and Fas protein, cell cycle and apoptotic level in oral squamous cell carcinoma. The relationship between Fas gene expression and OSCC apoptosis was analyzed statistically.

RESULTSFas mRNA and protein could be detected in all five normal oral mucosa specimens. There was positive correlation between expression of Fas mRNA/protein and cell differentiation as well as apoptosis in OSCC (P < 0.005).

CONCLUSIONThe expression of Fas gene was highly correlated with the differentiation and apoptosis in OSCC.

Apoptosis ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; Humans ; Mouth Neoplasms ; metabolism ; fas Receptor ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression and significance of integrin-beta1 in oral leukoplakia and early invasive carcinoma.

METHODSThe expression of integrin-beta1 and Ki-67 was examined in 12 normal oral mucosa, 10 simple hyperplasia, 24 epithelial dysplasia and 14 early invasive carcinoma by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSIn normal and simple hyperplasia epithelium, integrin-beta1 was mostly expressed in the basal cell membrane, and Ki-67 in the nuclei of basal and the parabasal layers. In dysplasia epithelium and early invasive carcinoma, integrin-beta1 showed membrane staining and Ki-67 showed nuclear staining in dysplastic basal cells, sprinkle cells and SCC cells. Integrin-beta1 and Ki-67 were overexpressed in 7 and 10 of 24 dysplasia cases and in 8 of 14 early invasive carcinoma cases respectively. There was a significant difference in integrin-beta1 and Ki-67 expression among the four groups (chi2 = 10.651, P = 0.014; chi2 = 14.831, P = 0.002), in integrin-beta1 expression among normal oral mucosa, simple hyperplasia and early invasive carcinoma (P = 0.008, P = 0.013) and in Ki-67 expression among normal oral mucosa and dysplasia, early invasive carcinoma (P = 0.026, P = 0.001), and among simple hyperplasia and early invasive carcinoma (P = 0.005). A significant correlation between integrin-beta1 and Ki-67 (R = 0.442, P < 0.01) was found.

CONCLUSIONSIntegrin-beta1 showed increased staining in dysplasia epithelium cells and SCC cells, and may correlate to the proliferation of the dysplasia cells.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Proliferation ; Humans ; Integrin beta1 ; metabolism ; Ki-67 Antigen ; metabolism ; Leukoplakia, Oral ; metabolism ; pathology ; Mouth Mucosa ; pathology ; Mouth Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology

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 examine Prion protein(PrP) expression and its clinical significance in oral mucosa, oral leukoplakia, oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC) and its subgroups.

METHODSExpression of PrP in OSCC, oral leukoplakia and mucosa specimen was detected by immunohistochemistry. The association between the expression and gender, TNM clinical stages, pathological grades was evaluated.

RESULTSThe positive expression rate of PrP in normal, oral leukoplakia and OSCC tissues was 15% (3/20) , 42% (11/26) and 95% (80/84) , respectively. There was a significant difference between the expression of PrP in leukoplakia and in high, moderately and poorly differentiated OSCC(P < 0.05). The positive expression rate was increased with the declining of pathological differentiation (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in PrP expression among lymph node metastasis and gender. PrP expression of stages I and II was up-regulated with the decreased differentiation (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in PrP expression between stage III and IV (P > 0.05). Between stages I+II and III+IV in the overa II expression of PrP, there was a significant difference(P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe high expression of PrP in OSCC and the progressive expression from leukoplakia to OSCC was closely related to the carcinogenesis of OSCC, pathologic stage and clinical TNM stage.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Differentiation ; Female ; Humans ; Leukoplakia, Oral ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Mouth Mucosa ; metabolism ; Mouth Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prions ; metabolism

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 expression of E-cadherin, vimentin, β-catenin and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC).

METHODSEighty-nine cases of OSCC and 20 cases of normal oral mucosa were collected. Then the 89 cases of OSCC were classified as grade I, II, III. The semiquantitative method was used to calculated the positive intensity and positive rate. The relationship between the OSCC differentiation and the four biomarkers was analyzed.

RESULTSThe median of E-cadherin was 9.00 in the normal tissue, 9.00, 6.00 and 6.00 in OSCC I, II and III, respectively. There was significant difference between the normal group and OSCC group (Z=-4.211, P=0.000). The median of vimentin was 0.00 in the normal tissue, 0.00, 0.00 and 4.00 in OSCC I, II and III, respectively. There was significant difference between the normal group and OSCC group (Z=-3.675, P=0.000). The median of β-catenin was 9.00 in the normal tissue, 3.00, 4.00 and 3.00 in OSCC I, II and III, respectively. There was significant difference between the normal group and OSCC group (Z=-6.300, respectively. There was significant difference between the normal group and OSCC group (Z=-3.329, P=0.000). E-cadherin expression was positively correlated to β-catenin expression (r=0.327, P=0.002), negtively correlated to vimentin expression (r=-0.386, P=0.001) and positively correlated to TGF-β1 expression (r=-0.304, P=0.004). Vimentin expression was positively correlated to TGF-β1 expression (r=0.401, P=0.000).

CONCLUSIONSE-cadherin and β-catenin in OSCC had a down-regulated expression, while the vimentin has an up-regulated expression.

Cadherins ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Differentiation ; Humans ; Mouth Mucosa ; cytology ; metabolism ; Mouth Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neoplasm Proteins ; metabolism ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; metabolism ; Transforming Growth Factors ; metabolism ; Vimentin ; metabolism ; beta Catenin ; metabolism

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

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression patterns of integrin-linked kinase (ILK) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

METHODSThe expression of ILK in 170 OSCC cases was examined by immunohistochemistry and periodic acid-schiff histochemistry.

RESULTSILK immunoreactivity occurred in cancer cells and(or) stroma encircling the malignant tissue. Along with the deteriorated histopathologic grade of oral cancer, there was stepwise aberration exhibiting from ILK-negative, to ILK-positive in epithelia, to ILK-positive in both epithelia and stroma, and to ILK-positive in stroma. Through non-parameter test, in both lymphatic invasion [ILK-positive in stroma in well-differentiated, moderately-differentiated and poorly-differentiated is 2% (1/50), 18% (6/33) and 64% (18/28), respectively] and non-lymphatic invasion group [ILK-positive in stroma in well-differentiated, moderately-differentiated and poorly-differentiated is 16% (4/25), 9/18 and 10/16, respectively), the expression patterns of ILK exhibited significant correlations with histopathology (F = 17.742, P < 0.001, F = 4.394, P = 0.017). ILK expression between lymphatic metastasis and non-lymphatic metastasis group was significantly different (χ(2) = 14.418, P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONSILK inclines to express in stroma during the OSCC progress.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; Cell Differentiation ; Epithelial Cells ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Mouth Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo detect the expression levels of programmed death-1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) in the peripheral blood of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to discuss their biological and clinical significance.

METHODSPD-1/PD-L1 expression on the surface of T-lymphocytes and the counts of T-lymphocyte subpopulations of peripheral blood in 82 patients with OSCC (OSCC group) and 25 healthy controls (control group) were examined via flow cytometry. The expression levels of soluble PD-1 (sPD-1) and soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) in the serum were observed through enzyme-link immunology method. The data were tested and analyzed with SPSS 17.0 software.

RESULTSThe percentage of CD8+ T cells in the OSCC group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05), whereas the percentages of CD3+ and CD4+ T cells as well as CD4+/CD8+ ratio were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). The positive rates of PD-1 and PD-L1 in CD3+ and CD4+ T cells in OSCC peripheral blood were remarkably higher than those in the control group (P<0.01). Difference was not observed between the expression levels of sPD-1 in the serum of OSCC group and those in the control group (P>0.05), but the average of sPD-L1 was remarkably higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). sPD-L1 expression was related to clinical stage, tumor cell differentiation, and lymph node status (P<0.05) but not related to sex, age, tumor location, and tumor size.

CONCLUSIONT-lymphocyte subpopulations in the peripheral blood of patients with OSCC developed immunosuppression with different degrees. PD-1 and PD-L1 expression levels on the surface of CD3+ and CD4+ T cells significantly increased. Abnormal increase in sPD-L1 expression may be associated with OSCC development.

B7-H1 Antigen ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; Case-Control Studies ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Mouth Neoplasms ; metabolism ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets