[Centrosome amplification and chromosome instability in oral squamous cell carcinomas].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between centrosome abnormalities and aneuploidy in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and elucidate the possible underlying mechanisms of chromosome instability (CIN) in OSCC.


METHODS
Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues of 8 cases of normal oral epithelium and 32 cases of OSCC were examined for centrosome status by using indirect immunofluorescence staining, and chromosome instability (aneuploidy) in some tissues were detected by flow cytometry. The correlation between centrosome abnormalities and aneuploidy in OSCC was statistically analyzed by SPSS12.0.


RESULTS
Normal oral epithelium showed normal size and number of centrosomes in epithelium cells, while 25 out of 32 cases of OSCC showed the evident centrosome amplification characterized by huge size and/or supernumerary centrosomes in a fraction of tumor cells, and 21 out of 32 cases were aneuploidy. The percentage of cases with abnormal centrosomes in aneuploid OSCC (19/21) was significantly higher than that in diploid OSCC(6/11) (P =0.032). Centrosome abnormality was significantly correlated with aneuploidy (Spearman r = 0.413, P = 0.047), and a positive correlation was found between the degree of centrosome amplification and the degree of DNA ploidy abnormality (Pearson r = 0.364, P = 0.041).


CONCLUSIONS
Centrosome abnormality may be a contributing factor for chromosome instability in OSCC.
Yang
Hong
H
Department of Stomatology, The Affiliated Hospital of Guiyang Medical College, Guiyang 550004, China.
Cai
Yang
Y
Yu
Yan-Ni
YN
Lu
Hong
H
Li
Shi-Ling
SL
D000782:Aneuploidy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D018385:Centrosome / Q000473:pathology; D043171:Chromosomal Instability; D006801:Humans; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology