title: Prognostic significance of nuclear pSTAT3 in oral cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aberrant nuclear accumulation of proteins influences tumor development and may predict biologic aggressiveness and disease prognosis. This study determined the prognostic significance of pSTAT3 (phosphorylayed signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using immunohistochemistry, a significant increase in nuclear accumulation of pSTAT3 was observed in 49 of 90 leukoplakias (54.4%) and 63/94 OSCCs (67%) (p(trend) < .001). Increased pSTAT3 was associated with tumor stage (p = .01), nodal metastasis (p = .0018), and tobacco consumption (p = .004). Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that OSCC with increased nuclear pSTAT3 showed significantly reduced disease-free survival (13 months), compared with the patients with no nuclear pSTAT3 expression (64 months, p = .019). Cox regression analysis revealed nuclear pSTAT3 as the most significant predictor of poor prognosis (p = .024, hazard ratio [HR] = 2.7).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased nuclear accumulation of pSTAT3 occurs in early premalignant stages and is a marker for poor prognosis of OSCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Muzafar A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Macha
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matta
authors.forename: Jatinder
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chauhan
authors.forename: Alok
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thakar
authors.forename: Nootan K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Shukla
authors.forename: Siddhartha Datta
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Ranju
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ralhan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007972:Leukoplakia, Oral / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor