Expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers at the invasive front of oral squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common malignances. In epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), epithelial cells switch to mesenchymal-like cells exhibiting high mobility. This migratory phenotype is significant during tumor invasion and metastasis. Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the expression of the EMT markers E-cadherin, N-cadherin and vimentin in OSCC.Material and Methods : Immunohistochemical detection of E-cadherin, N-cadherin and vimentin was performed on 20 OSCC samples. Differences in the expression of each protein at the invasive front (IF) and in the central/superficial areas (CSA) of the tumor were assessed. Differences in the expression of each protein at the IF of both histologically high- and low-invasive OSCCs were evaluated. Associations among expression of proteins at the IF were assessed. Correlations between the expression levels of each protein at the IF and the tumor stage and clinical nodal status were also evaluated.Results : Reduced expression of E-cadherin was detected in 15 samples (75%). E-cadherin expression was reduced at the IF when compared to the CSA and in high-invasive tumors when compared to low-invasive tumors. All samples were negative for N-cadherin, even though one sample showed an inconspicuous expression. Positive expression of vimentin was observed in 6 samples (30%). Nevertheless, there was no difference in vimentin expression between the IF and the CSA regions or between the low- and high-invasive tumors. Furthermore, no association was observed among protein expression levels at the IF. Finally, no correlations were observed between each protein’s expression levels and tumor stage or clinical nodal status.Conclusions : Reduced E-cadherin expression at the IF and its association with histological invasiveness suggest that this protein is a noteworthy EMT marker in OSCC. Although vimentin was also detected as an EMT marker, its expression was neither limited to the IF nor was it related to histological invasiveness.

Overexpression of long non-coding RNA H19 is associated with unfavorable prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer and increased proliferation and migration in colon cancer cells

“…Previous studies have suggested that H19 may be involved in the EMT process in a number of types of cancer cells (25,26). EMT is considered to serve an important function in the process of metastasis and is characterized by 'cadherin switchʼ, increased expression of vimentin and relevant transcription factors, including Snail (27,28). In the present study, the expression levels of E-cadherin, vimentin and Snail were determined in HCT-116 and SW-480 cells.…”

Comparing the Immuno-Expression of Endothelial Markers in Normal Oral Mucosa, Oral Epithelial Dysplasia and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Relationship between E-Cadherin, Vimentin, CD31, CD117 and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

“…In the OSCC samples, we found that the intensity of Vimentin in most cases was marked (36.84%). The same happens in prostate, gastric, colorectal, mammary, cervical-uterine and COCE carcinomas in reported findings [28,29] where this over expression is associated with poorly differentiated tumors and an invasive phenotype. This over expression responds to the regulation that undergoes the gene coding for Vimentina, either through transcriptional activators, epigenetic modifications or posttranslational modifications.…”

N-cadherin and hyaluronan expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, relation to patient outcomes

“…"Cadherin switch described as loss of E-cadherin expression and expression of N-cadherin expression increases the mobility of neoplastic epithelial cells and their ability to invade locally". [21,22] Also, it was described that the key step in gaining the invasive phenotype is the functional elimination of E-Cadherin and up-regulation of N-Cadherin. Previous studies demonstrated that expression of N-Cadherin was associated with invasive and de-differentiated breast cancer cell lines, and also linked to motility, invasion, and metastasis.…”

“…[4] The prognostic value of E-cadherin expression in several tumors as in breast cancer has been studied, [21] bladder carcinoma. [22] Few studies were carried on biological and prognostic role of N-cadherin in HNSCCs, so further studies are needed for confirmation and more clarification of this role.…”

“…[5, 21,22] This study assessed the expression of N-cadherin in HNSCCs and adjacent normal and dysplastic epithelium; it revealed that N-cadherin showed low expression in dysplastic basal and para basal cells of covering epithelium with higher expression in the malignant squamous epithelium. These findings were consistent with Domenico et al…”