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.
Bello
Ibrahim O
IO
Department of Diagnostics and Oral Medicine, Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
Vilen
Suvi-Tuuli
ST
Niinimaa
Ahti
A
Kantola
Saara
S
Soini
Ylermi
Y
Salo
Tuula
T
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