Aberrant expression of nuclear vimentin and related epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Expression of vimentin and the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers E-cadherin, β-catenin is essential for the progression of various human cancers. Our study aimed to investigate the aberrant localization E-cadherin, β-catenin and vimentin, and their prognostic significance in 122 nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Our results showed that both membranous and cytoplasmic localization of E-cadherin staining were associated with lymph node metastasis (p = 0.000 and 0.005, respectively) and clinical stage (p = 0.000 and 0.007, respectively). High cytoplasmic β-catenin correlated significantly with larger tumor size (p = 0.020), lymph node metastasis (p = 0.000) and advanced clinical stage (p = 0.036). However, no significant difference was observed between membranous β-catenin and clinicopathologic features (p ≥ 0.05). High nuclear vimentin expression correlated significantly with positive lymph node metastasis (p = 0.000) and advanced clinical stage (p = 0.000). Multivariate analysis showed that nuclear vimentin and cytoplasmic E-cadherin were independent prognostic factors (p = 0.016 and 0.001, respectively), as well as M classification (p = 0.001). More importantly, patients with high coexpression of nuclear vimentin and cytoplasmic E-cadherin had shorter survival time (p = 0.000). Furthermore, high coexpression of these two proteins was closely associated with lymph node metastasis (p = 0.000) and advanced clinical stage (p = 0.000). Our studies provide convincing evidence that EMT may play an important role in the biological progression of NPC, and nuclear vimentin and cytoplasmic E-cadherin might have independent prognostic value in NPC patients and serve as novel targets for prognostic therapeutics.
Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China.
Weiren
W
Luo
Weiyi
W
Fang
Siyi
S
Li
Kaitai
K
Yao
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002277:Carcinoma; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015820:Cadherins; D014746:Vimentin; D051176:beta Catenin