Collagen XVIII modulation is altered during progression of oral dysplasia and carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Collagen XVIII is a ubiquitous basement membrane (BM) component and a precursor of endostatin.


METHODS
Using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, we studied the expression and localization of collagen XVIII in different stages of normal oral wound healing, epithelial dysplasia and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).


RESULTS
In mild epithelial dysplasias collagen XVIII appeared as a continuous signal in the BM, whereas in severe epithelial dysplasias and in the invasive areas of oral SCCs collagen XVIII was absent. In situ hybridization showed that collagen XVIII mRNA expression did not decrease in severe dysplasia or oral carcinoma samples when compared with the mild dysplasias.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that the absence of collagen XVIII protein in severe oral dysplasias is related to the processing of the protein rather than to changes in mRNA expression.
Väänänen
Anu
A
Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Ylipalosaari
Merja
M
Parikka
Mataleena
M
Kainulainen
Tiina
T
Rehn
Marko
M
Heljasvaara
Ritva
R
Tjäderhane
Leo
L
Salo
Tuula
T
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000032:analysis; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology; D043170:Collagen Type XVIII / Q000032:analysis*; D043169:Endostatins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000032:analysis; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000473:pathology*; D046188:Protein Modification, Translational; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D043170:Collagen Type XVIII; D043169:Endostatins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9