Immunohistochemistry analysis of checkpoint kinase 2 in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most frequently occurring malignant tumor of the head and neck region. Chk2 (Checkpoint kinase 2) is considered a tumor suppressor gene that acts on the cellular response to DNA damage. However, the role of Chk2 in OSCC prognosis is not yet fully understood. The objective of this study was to evaluate Chk2 immunoexpression in OSCC and to elucidate the association between its expression and clinicopathological parameters of prognostic importance, including overall survival, disease-free survival, and metastasis-free survival. Methods: Chk2 expression was analyzed in 101 samples from patients with OSCC using immunohistochemistry. We stratified the patients into high expression (> 66% of cells positive for Chk2) and low expression (< 66%) groups. Results: Chk2 showed high expression in 57.43% of OSCC. In our study, the expression of Chk2 did not correlate with any of the prognostic parameters evaluated. There was no difference between overall survival, metastasis-free survival, and disease-free survival according to Chk2 expression. Conclusion: Despite the great importance of Chk2 in the development of different types of cancer, our findings do not favor Chk2 as a prognostic marker in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

<p>The Expression and Therapeutic Potential of Checkpoint Kinase 2 in Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma</p>

“…16,17 However, a recent study indicated there is no significant relation between CHK2 expression and clinicopathological data or survival in oral squamous cell carcinoma. 18 In this research, our data showed that both active form of CHK2 and total CHK2 protein expressions were higher in LSCC tissues than in matched adjacent nontumor tissues. Further, positive expression of CHK2 was closely associated with advanced clinical features and poor prognosis.…”