Overexpression of CDK2 is a prognostic indicator of oral cancer progression.
Cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) play key roles in cell cycle regulation, a process of which dysregulation can lead to uncontrolled cell growth and hence to cancer. We have already reported the alteration of CDK4 and cyclin D1 expression in oral cancer. In this study, we examined by immunohistochemistry the expression of CDK2, and cyclins A and E in 20 normal oral mucosa, 42 dysplastic epithelia, and 103 oral squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). The expressions of CDK2, and cyclins A and E were not detected in the normal epithelium and significantly altered from epithelial dysplasia to SCC. While there were no significant correlations between the expression of cyclins A, E and the patients' survival, CDK2 expression was significantly correlated with lymph node involvement (P = 0.025), tumor differentiation (P = 0.032), mode of tumor invasion (P = 0.017), and shorter survival period (P = 0.0173). These results suggest that the elevated expression of CDK2 is a critical factor in oral cancer progression and can be used as a negative predictive marker of the patients' prognosis.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery II, Okayama University Dental School, Okayama 700-8525, Japan. marichan@dent.okayama-u.ac.jp
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M
Mihara
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S
Shintani
Y
Y
Nakahara
A
A
Kiyota
Y
Y
Ueyama
T
T
Matsumura
D T
DT
Wong
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D042846:CDC2-CDC28 Kinases; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019925:Cyclin A / Q000032:analysis; D019927:Cyclin E / Q000032:analysis; D051357:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2; D051358:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases / Q000032:analysis*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000473:pathology; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000032:analysis*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012016:Reference Values; D015996:Survival Rate
D019925:Cyclin A; D019927:Cyclin E; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D042846:CDC2-CDC28 Kinases; C495894:CDK2 protein, human; C495900:CDK4 protein, human; D051357:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2; D051358:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases