title: CD44v6 in developing, dysplastic and malignant oral epithelia.
abstract: The CD44v6 adhesion molecule has been linked to progression of various carcinomas, but its role in relation to oral-cancer development is not clear. The study was designed to determine whether CD44v6 levels were clinically significant in oral dysplasias. Twenty-nine oral dysplasias were immunostained with CD44v6 antibody on follow-up. Developing normal epithelia and adult normal epithelia and oral carcinomas were stained for comparison. Oral dysplasias and carcinomas exhibited heterogenous staining patterns. No statistically significant correlation between CD44v6 expression and outcome was found for dysplasia patients. The results show that in developing and healthy oral mucosa CD44v6 is associated with epithelium-specific differentiation but in dysplasias and carcinomas it mirrors disorderly epithelial maturation. The results also suggest that determination of CD44v6 levels is not helpful in judging the likely clinical behaviour of oral dysplasia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku, Lemminkäisenkatu 2, FIN-20520 Turku, Finland. jaana.rautava@utu.fi
authors.forename: Jaana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rautava
authors.forename: Tero
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Soukka
authors.forename: Pirjo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Inki
authors.forename: Riitta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leimola-Virtanen
authors.forename: Irma
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Saloniemi
authors.forename: Risto-Pekka
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Happonen
authors.forename: Kristiina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Heikinheimo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002455:Cell Division; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000032:analysis*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000737:chemistry / Q000196:embryology; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D012044:Regression Analysis
chemical_list: C112697:CD44v6 antigen; D006023:Glycoproteins; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors