title: Evidence for field change in oral cancer based on cytokeratin expression.
abstract: It was hypothesised that one may be able to visualise field changes, which are proposed to exist around tumours, as alterations in keratin intermediate filament protein expression. Standard immunohistochemical analysis using a panel of monoclonal anti-keratin antibodies was applied to fresh tissue sections to look for subtle changes in epithelial differentiation not visible in H&E sections. Such changes were observed in clinically normal epithelium from oral cancer patients, involving primarily substantial expression of keratins K8/K7 (using CAM 5.2) in the basal cells of 12 out of 34 biopsies, and also a trend towards a reduction in the complexity of keratin differentiation. Monitoring such changes may prove to be a valuable adjunct to conventional H&E staining if found to have prognostic and diagnostic significance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Surgery, Dental Hospital and School, University of Dundee, UK.
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Ogden
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.forename: D V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Hopwood
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Chisholm
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology*; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007633:Keratins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009055:Mouth / Q000737:chemistry; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology*; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D007633:Keratins