title: Association of OCT4, SOX2, and NANOG expression with oral squamous cell carcinoma progression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  OCT4, SOX2, and NANOG are major transcription factors related to stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. The aim of this study was to examine the association of OCT4, SOX2, and NANOG expression levels with the development and prognosis of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Expression levels of OCT4, SOX2, and NANOG were evaluated by immunohistochemistry with tissue microarray slides of 436 OSCC, 362 corresponding tumor-adjacent normal (CTAN) tissues, and 71 normal uvula epithelium tissues. The clinicopathologic and follow-up data of the OSCC patients were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  OCT4 expression was significantly higher in normal and CTAN tissues than in tumor tissue (both P < 0.001). SOX2 expression in CTAN tissue was significantly higher than that in normal (P = 0.021) and tumor tissues (P < 0.001). However, NANOG expression was significantly higher in CTAN (P = 0.014) and tumor tissues (P = 0.009) than in normal tissue. Higher OCT4 and SOX2 expressions were associated with earlier AJCC stage (P = 0.002 and P < 0.001), small tumor size (P = 0.017 and P = 0.001), and the absence of lymph node metastasis (P = 0.015 and P = 0.025). Higher levels of SOX2 expression were associated with better disease-specific survival (P = 0.002) even after adjustment for clinicopathologic factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OCT4 and SOX2 are biomarkers of tumorigenesis and early stage OSCC. SOX2 is an independent prognostic factor for OSCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Shu-Zen Junior College of Medicine and Mangement, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ting-Ying
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: I-Chien
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jiin-Tsuey
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Meng-Han
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Department of Nursing, Yuh-Ing Junior College of Health Care and Management, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Yi
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jang-Hwa
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Education and Research, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Huei-Han
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Liou
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Education and Research, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Sheng-Feng
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Shu-Zen Junior College of Medicine and Mangement, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Department of Stomatology, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hung-Chih
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Leing-Ming
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hui-Hwa
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Department of Medical Education and Research, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Luo-Ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Ger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D063646:Carcinogenesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000071317:Nanog Homeobox Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011379:Prognosis; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C486780:NANOG protein, human; D000071317:Nanog Homeobox Protein; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; C494173:POU5F1 protein, human; C527782:SOX2 protein, human; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors
keywords: NANOG; OCT4; SOX2; oral cancer; squamous cell carcinoma