title: Expressions of E-cadherin, Cortactin and MMP-9 in Pseudoepitheliomatous Hyperplasia and Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck: Their Relationships with Clinicopathologic Factors and Prognostic Implication.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  E-cadherin, cortactin, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 have roles in tumor development or progression, but their expression has not been fully investigated in pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia (PEH) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the head and neck.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated the immunohistochemical expression of E-cadherin, cortactin, and MMP-9 in 29 cases of PEH and 97 cases of SCC. Additionally, we evaluated their relationship with clinicopathologic factors and prognostic implications in SCC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-five cases of SCC showed reduced expression of E-cadherin, whereas none of the PEH did. A total of 20 cases and 11 cases of SCC were immunoreactive for cortactin and MMP-9, respectively, whereas none of the PEH did. In SCC, reduced expression of E-cadherin was correlated with cortactin expression and invasion depth. Cortactin expression was correlated with differentiation, T classification, and recurrence and/or metastasis. MMP-9 expression was correlated with invasion depth. Cortactin expression was correlated with poor overall survival and relapse-free survival and it was an independent prognostic factor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The reduced expression of E-cadherin and the expression of cortactin may be helpful for the differential diagnosis of PEH and SCC. Furthermore, cortactin expression in association with reduced E-cadherin expression is correlated with poor prognosis in SCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Tack Kune
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: You
authors.forename: Kyoung Min
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang Jae
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Noh
authors.forename: Jun Sang
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Kyu Yun
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Myoung Ja
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Woo Sung
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Myoung Jae
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Dong Geun
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ho Sung
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Park
keywords: Cadherins; Carcinoma, squamous cell; Cortactin; Head and neck neoplasms; Matrix metalloproteinase 9; Pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia