title: Zinc-alpha2-glycoprotein expression as a marker of differentiation in human oral tumors.
abstract: Zinc-alpha2-glycoprotein (Znalpha2gp) is a soluble major histocompatibility complex homolog widespread in body fluids and in glandular epithelia; the authors recently demonstrated its presence in stratified epithelia. Znalpha2gp has been associated with tumor differentiation in breast cancers and other carcinomas. We compare here its gene expression in histopathologically graded oral squamous cell carcinomas and in their perilesional normals. Znalpha2gp levels are higher in the controls than in the tumors, and higher in well-differentiated tumors than in poorly differentiated ones. Markers of oral epithelial maturation (keratin K13 and involucrin) are less simply related to tumor histology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77555, USA. mibrysk@utmb.edu
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Brysk
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Adler-Storthz
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brysk
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Tyring
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Arany
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins; D000090203:Zn-Alpha-2-Glycoprotein
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006023:Glycoproteins; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins; D000090203:Zn-Alpha-2-Glycoprotein