Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression correlates with oral cancer progression and induces macrophage/cancer cell adhesion.
Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is a transmembrane glycoprotein in the immunoglobulin superfamily, which plays an important role in cell adhesion and signal transduction. Although ICAM-1 is believed to play a role in several malignancies, it is still uncertain whether or not ICAM-1 expression contributes to cancer progression. In this study, we performed clinicopathological and cell biological analyses of ICAM-1 expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). First, we examined the ICAM-1 expression in tongue SCC immunohistochemically, and revealed that ICAM-1 was expressed predominantly at the invasive front area of tongue SCC. ICAM-1 expression at the invasive front area was correlated with invasion, lymph node metastasis and increased blood and lymphatic vessel density of the tongue SCC. The relationship between ICAM-1 expression and clinicopathological factors were consistent with the increased proliferation, invasion and cytokine-production activities of ICAM-1-transfected SCC cells. Second, we analyzed the relationship between macrophages and ICAM-1-expressing tongue SCC cells because ICAM-1 is known to act as a ligand for adhesion of immune cells. Increased ICAM-1 expression in tongue SCC was correlated with increased macrophage infiltration within SCC nests. Moreover, macrophage/SCC-cell adhesion through ICAM-1 molecule was revealed using an in vitro cell adhesion and blockade assay. These findings indicate that ICAM-1 plays an important role in tongue SCC progression, which may result from the SCC-cell activity, angiogenic activity, lymphangiogenic activity and macrophage/SCC-cell adhesion.
Clinical Laboratory, Osaka University Dental Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
Yu
Y
Usami
Ken
K
Ishida
Sunao
S
Sato
Mitsunobu
M
Kishino
Megumi
M
Kiryu
Yuzo
Y
Ogawa
Masaya
M
Okura
Yasuo
Y
Fukuda
Satoru
S
Toyosawa
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000276:immunology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D042601:Lymphatic Vessels / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D014059:Tongue / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism
D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1