title: Tumor-specific genetic expression profile of metastatic oral squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Metastasis is the most important predictor of survival in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). We tested the hypothesis that there is a genetic expression profile associated with OSCC metastasis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We obtained samples from 6 OSCC node-positive primary tumors and their matched metastatic lymph nodes, and 5 OSCC node-negative primary tumors. Using laser capture microdissection, we isolated OSCC cells from metastatic lymph nodes and compared them with those from matched primary tumors and unmatched node-negative primary tumors using Affymetrix Human Genome Focus arrays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comparison of tumor cells from the lymph nodes with those from the unmatched, node-negative primary tumors revealed differential expression of 160 genes. Hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis using this 160-gene set showed that the node-negative samples were distinguishable from both, node-positive primary tumors and tumors in the lymph nodes. Many of the expression changes found in the metastatic cells from the lymph nodes were also found in the node-positive primary tumors. Immunohistochemical analysis for transglutaminase-3 and keratin 16 confirmed the differential genetic expression for these genes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These preliminary results suggest that there may be a metastatic gene expression profile present in node-positive primary OSCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Méndez
authors.forename: Wenhong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: S Nicholas
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Agoff
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Whipple
authors.forename: D Gregory
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Farwell
authors.forename: Neal D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Futran
authors.forename: Ernest A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Weymuller
authors.forename: Lue-Ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Chu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053536:Keratin-16 / Q000235:genetics; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000235:genetics*; D008667:Metalloproteins / Q000235:genetics; D042282:Microdissection; D009060:Mouth Floor; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics; D011503:Transglutaminases / Q000235:genetics; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D053536:Keratin-16; D008667:Metalloproteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; C083686:RPS27 protein, human; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins; C498712:TGM3 protein, human; D011503:Transglutaminases