Adhesion molecule CD44 expression in non-tumour epithelium adjacent to tongue cancer.
An immunohistochemical study was performed of changes in the expression of adhesion molecule CD44 in 32 adjacent non-tumour epithelia (ANTE) to lingual carcinomas and in the tumour tissue, using anti-CD44 monoclonal antibody DF1485. The aim was to evaluate the importance of these changes as an early event in lingual carcinogenesis. The ANTE was histologically normal in 22 cases (68.8%) and presented epithelial dysplasia in 10 (32.2%). Three cases of normal and dysplastic ANTE, respectively, were CD44- (9.4%). Negative CD44 expression was significantly more frequent in tumours with lower percentages of CD44+ cancer cells, both in normal (P=0.014) and dysplastic (P=0.033) ANTE. The expression in normal ANTE was also significantly associated with clinical stage (P=0.040) and presence of extracapsular nodal spread (P=0.013). Therefore, loss of CD44 expression in ANTE can be considered an early event in lingual carcinogenesis and a marker of major alterations of CD44 expression in the derived tumour tissue.
González-Moles
Miguel Angel
MA
Department of Oral Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain. magonzal@ugr.es
Bravo
Manuel
M
Ruiz-Avila
Isabel
I
Esteban
Francisco
F
Bascones-Martínez
Antonio
A
González-Moles
Salvador
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors