title: Expression of CXCR4 is associated with progression and invasion in patients with nasal-surface basal cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common type of skin cancer with an increasing incidence worldwide that imposes a considerable burden on public health. C-X-C chemokine receptor (CXCR4) plays a vital role in initiation, progression and metastasis of several types of cancers. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression and clinical significance of CXCR4 in BCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, 80 samples of primary BCC were assessed for CXCR4 expression using immunohistochemistry. The mRNA and protein expression levels of CXCR4 were evaluated by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CXCR4-positive staining was detected in 70% of BCC samples. Overexpression of CXCR4 was significantly associated with tumor size (>2 vs. 2 cm, p = 0.002) and pathological type (invasive vs. noninvasive, p = 0.007). CXCR4 was also upregulated at transcriptional and translational levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study revealed that the expression of CXCR4 was associated with progression and invasion in patients with BCC. It may be a considerable biomarker to assess invasiveness of nasal-surface BCC and to guide clinical management of such tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, PR China.
authors.forename: Cheng-Zhi
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Pei-Hua
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiao-Jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhi-Jie
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Run-Jie
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D009669:Nose Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C527276:CXCR4 protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4