title: FGFR-2 and -3 play an important role in initial stages of oral oncogenesis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  FGFR-2 and FGFR-3 (fibroblast growth factor receptors) have been shown to play an important role in several processes including carcinogenesis. This study was designed to determine gradual FGFR-2 and FGFR-3 expression in sequential stages of oral carcinogenesis in an experimental animal system of Syrian golden hamsters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tissue sections ranging from normal mucosa to squamous cell carcinoma were studied using monoclonal antibodies against FGFR-2 and FGFR-3 proteins.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant elevation was revealed in both FGFR-2 and FGFR-3 expression during the stages of dysplasia and early invasion, while in the later stages of oral carcinogenesis the expression of both FGFR-2 and FGFR-3 decreased although not significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate that FGFR-2 and FGFR-3 seem to play an important role in the initial stages of oral cancer progression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Athens Medical School, Vas. Sofias 93 and Dim. Soutsou 1, Athens 11521, Greece. lvairakt@med.uoa.gr
authors.forename: Eleftherios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vairaktaris
authors.forename: Vassilis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ragos
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yapijakis
authors.forename: Spyridoula
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Derka
authors.forename: Stavros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vassiliou
authors.forename: Emeka
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nkenke
authors.forename: Athanassios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yannopoulos
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spyridonidou
authors.forename: Antonis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vylliotis
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Papakosta
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Loukeri
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lazaris
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tesseromatis
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tsigris
authors.forename: Efstratios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Patsouris
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006224:Cricetinae; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051497:Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 2 / Q000502:physiology*; D051498:Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 3 / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D051497:Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 2; D051498:Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 3