title: Prognostic significance of proliferative and apoptotic markers in oral tongue squamous cell carcinomas.
abstract: The prognostic impact of proliferative and apoptotic markers was studied in 85 T1-4 oral tongue squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). Ki67 immunoreactivity and AgNOR counts, including mean AgNOR counts (mAgNOR) and the percentage of nuclei with more than one AgNOR (pAgNOR > 1), were used as proliferative parameters. The apoptotic index (AI) was assessed using the TUNEL method. Bax expression was detected immunohistochemically and scored. Bax expression correlated positively with AI (p = 0.0122). Ki67 correlated with both pAgNOR > 1 (p = 0.0042) and mAgNOR (p = 0.0189). Low Bax expression and low AI correlated significantly with the disease-free period (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0024, respectively). High values for Ki67, pAgNOR > 1 and mAgNOR correlated with poor prognosis (p = 0.0021, p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0244, respectively). Combinations of proliferative and apoptotic parameters were stronger predictors than individual parameters (p < 0.0001). pAgNOR > 1-Bax expression appeared to be the best combination (p < 0.0001). We conclude that proliferative and apoptotic markers, especially their combinations, have prognostic value in tongue SCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, National Hospital, University of Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Angelis
authors.forename: O P
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Clausen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boysen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002455:Cell Division; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004224:Diterpenes / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
chemical_list: C494826:BAX protein, human; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004224:Diterpenes; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C014341:argyrophilic acid