Prognostic impact of metallothionein on oral squamous cell carcinoma.
Metallothionein (MT), a low-molecular-weight protein with high cysteine content, seems to be related to neoplastic resistance to oncologic treatment and therefore has been studied as a prognostic factor for a variety of human malignant tumors. MT overexpression in neoplasms of ectodermal origin is usually associated with a poor prognosis. MT expression was evaluated in 60 samples of oral squamous cell carcinoma by immunohistochemistry to study its prognostic influence on oral cancer. Possible associations of MT immunoexpression were also investigated with respect to clinical stage (TNM), histological grading, and proliferation index (Ki-67) of the lesions. No significant statistical correlation was observed among these variables. The impact on overall survival was assessed by uni and multivariate statistical tests. Mean MT labeling index was 60%. High MT labeling indexes (over 76%) predicted shorter survival in univariate statistical analysis. In multivariate analysis, MT labeling index and clinical stage were independent prognostic factors. MT overexpression in oral squamous cell carcinoma seems to be related to a worse prognosis for patients.
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Laboratório de Patologia Experimental 1 (Sala 3201), Faculdade de Odontologia, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, CEP: 31270-901, Belo Horizonte (MG), Brazil.
Sérgio V
SV
Cardoso
Hugo M
HM
Barbosa
Ignez M
IM
Candellori
Adriano M
AM
Loyola
Maria Cássia F
MC
Aguiar
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D002455:Cell Division; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate
D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D008668:Metallothionein