T-box transcription factor Brachyury expression is correlated with epithelial-mesenchymal             transition and lymph node metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma.
The prognosis of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is influenced             by the presence of lymph node metastasis. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT),             a process that involves events that convert adherent epithelial cells into individual             migratory cells that can invade the extracellular matrix, is critical for cancer             progression. Recently, the T-box transcription factor Brachyury was reported to             promote EMT in human carcinoma cell lines. We analyzed the relationship between             EMT (assessed by staining for E-cadherin and Vimentin) and the expression of Brachyury             in association with lymph node metastasis in oral SCC. Oral SCC biopsy specimens             (152 cases) were examined immunohistochemically for the expression of E-cadherin,             Vimentin and Brachyury. Expression of Brachyury was correlated with EMT (p=0.035)             and was significantly associated with lymph node and distant metastasis (p<0.05).             Logistic regression analysis showed that Brachyury and EMT were predictive factors             for lymph node metastasis (odds ratio 4.390 and 5.936, respectively) and that             EMT was a predictive factor for distant metastases (odds ratio 11.786). Our findings             present clinical evidence for an important role of Brachyury in EMT in oral SCC,             and suggest that Brachyury and EMT patterns are useful prognostic markers.
Division of Maxillofacial Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, Department                     of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka                     812-8582, Japan.
Ikumi
I
Imajyo
Tsuyoshi
T
Sugiura
Yosuke
Y
Kobayashi
Miyuki
M
Shimoda
Kotaro
K
Ishii
Naonari
N
Akimoto
Naoya
N
Yoshihama
Ieyoshi
I
Kobayashi
Yoshihide
Y
Mori
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005326:Fetal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D021381:Protein Transport; D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism; D000098908:Brachyury Protein
D015820:Cadherins; D005326:Fetal Proteins; D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins; D014746:Vimentin; D000098908:Brachyury Protein