Expression of claudins 1, 4, 5, and 7 and occludin, and relationship with prognosis in squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue.
Claudins and occludin are tight junctional proteins known to play a role in normal tissues and epithelial tumors. We analyzed the distribution patterns of claudins 1, 4, 5, and 7 and occludin in the superficial and invasive front of squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue of 97 patients and their relationship to cause-specific (squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue) patient survival (median follow-up period of 33.5 months; range, 1-234 months). Claudins 1 and 7 were strongly expressed, claudin 4 had moderate expression, whereas claudin 5 was least expressed. Occludin staining was mostly negative or very weak. Western blot analysis of tongue carcinoma (HSC-3) cells showed that all these proteins are also expressed in vitro. In cause-specific survival analysis, strong and low immunoreactivity of claudin 7 tended to be associated with decreased survival compared with medium immunoreactivity. We suggest that analyzing the immunohistologic staining levels of claudin 7 could be used for the prognostic purposes in patients with tongue squamous cell carcinoma.
Department of Diagnostics and Oral Medicine, Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
Ibrahim O
IO
Bello
Suvi-Tuuli
ST
Vilen
Ahti
A
Niinimaa
Saara
S
Kantola
Ylermi
Y
Soini
Tuula
T
Salo
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D062445:Claudin-1; D062506:Claudin-4; D062507:Claudin-5; D057167:Claudins; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D062793:Occludin; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D019108:Tight Junctions / Q000737:chemistry; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology
C568108:CLDN1 protein, human; C568157:CLDN4 protein, human; C107466:CLDN5 protein, human; C473255:CLDN7 protein, human; D062445:Claudin-1; D062506:Claudin-4; D062507:Claudin-5; D057167:Claudins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C568985:OCLN protein, human; D062793:Occludin