EZH2 Expression Correlates With T-Cell Infiltration in Oral Leukoplakia and Predicts Cancer Transformation

Abstract

Background/Aim: The EZH2 complex is involved in cellular proliferation and modulates the immune response in cancer. Less is known about the importance of EZH2 in precancerous lesions such as oral leukoplakia (OL). The aim of the study was to explore the association between EZH2 expression, immune activation, and cancer transformation in OL. found (r=0.57, p=0.01; r=0.59, p=0.01). The number of EZH2-expressing cells in the epithelium of OL-ca was significantly higher compared to OL-non (p=0.0002). Cancer-free survival rates differed significantly between patients with EZH2 high compared to EZH2 low expression (p=0.001). EZH2 high expression in OL epithelium was associated with a 13-fold higher risk for developing OSCC (HR=12.8). Conclusion: EZH2 expression in oral epithelium predicts OSCC transformation of OL and correlates with the level of T-cell infiltration. Patients and Methods: Analyses were retrospectively performed on nine OL cases that had undergone transformation to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC; OL-ca) and nine that had not undergone transformation (OL-non). EZH2-expressing cells, CD3+ and CD8+ T cells, and CD1a+ Langerhans cells were visualized with immunohistofluorescence and counted. Results: A moderate positive correlation between CD3-and EZH2expressing and CD8-and EZH2-expressing cells in the epithelium was

Immunohistochemical Expression of MMP-9, TIMP-1, and Vimentin and its Correlation With Inflammatory Reaction and Clinical Parameters in Oral Epithelial Dysplasia

“…However, it is noteworthy to say that there is limited evidence concerning the significance of immune cells at the risk of malignant transformation of OPMD. Previous works were restricted to T lymphocytes and reported significant results based on a relatively small sample size 5,6. The overall inflammatory cell reaction, including lymphoid, neutrophilic, eosinophilic, and plasmacytic cells is an independent prognostic factor for OSCC 35.…”

“…Inflammatory cells, and tumor cells, are a source of growth factors, cytokines, chemokines, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, and extracellular matrix (ECM)-modifying enzymes, which would sustain cell proliferation and survival, angiogenesis, cell migration and metastasis, and DNA damage 2. In oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD), an increase in the inflammatory reaction (IR) was observed in severe oral epithelial dysplasia (ED),3,4 and immune-infiltrating cells were associated with the risk of malignant transformation of OPMD 5,6…”

EZH2: A Critical Competing Endogenous RNA in Cancer Research - A Scoping Review

“…There is also an association between OSCC initiation and the level of EZH2 expression. It has been indicated that high expression of EZH2 in the epithelium of oral leukoplakia, which is the most common potentially malignant disorder of oral mucosa, is linked to a greater risk of developing OSCC (76,77).…”