title: Involvement of focal adhesion kinase in cellular proliferation, apoptosis and prognosis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate the relationship between focal adhesion kinase expression and clinicopathological factors, cell apoptosis and proliferation, and overall survival, in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of focal adhesion kinase and proliferating cell nuclear antigen in tissue samples. Apoptotic cells were assessed using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labelling ('TUNEL') method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The proportion of focal adhesion kinase expression was 73.26 per cent in tumour tissues, significantly greater than in normal tissues (p < 0.05), and was significantly related to laryngeal cancer clinical stage, lymph node metastasis and overall survival (p < 0.05). In the tumour cases assessed, up-regulation of focal adhesion kinase expression was significantly associated with decreased cell apoptosis and increased proliferation (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that focal adhesion kinase may affect laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma progression through regulation of cell apoptosis and proliferation. Focal adhesion kinase expression is a major prognostic factor in laryngeal cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated First People's Hospital, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Z F
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005260:Female; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases