title: Expression of the voltage-gated potassium channel Kv3.4 in oral leucoplakias and oral squamous cell carcinomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The expression of the voltage-gated potassium channel Kv3.4 was investigated in both oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) and oral leucoplakias to establish its clinical significance during the development and progression of OSCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tissue specimens from 62 patients with oral leucoplakia were collected prospectively and 100 patients with OSCC who underwent surgical treatment were collected retrospectively, and Kv3.4 expression was analysed by immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-nine of 100 tumours exhibited Kv3.4-positive expression, and staining was associated with the degree of differentiation (P = 0.05) but showed no impact on patient prognosis. Abnormal Kv3.4 expression was detected in 16% (7 of 43) hyperplastic lesions and at a significantly higher proportion in oral dysplasias (50%, 8 of 16 cases; P = 0.008), whereas expression was negligible in normal adjacent epithelia. Furthermore, patients carrying Kv3.4-positive lesions exhibited a higher progression risk than those with Kv3.4-negative lesions; however, histology but not Kv3.4 expression predicted oral cancer development significantly in this prospective cohort.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides original evidence to demonstrate the early occurrence and high prevalence of abnormal Kv3.4 expression in oral leucoplakias. Our results support a role for Kv3.4 potassium channel in OSCC tumorigenesis rather than tumour progression and disease outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA), Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
authors.forename: Álvaro
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Fernández-Valle
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA), Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.|Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan Pablo
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Rodrigo
authors.affiliation: Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
authors.forename: Juana M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: García-Pedrero
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA), Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Santamarta
authors.affiliation: Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Allonca
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA), Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
authors.forename: Paloma
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lequerica-Fernández
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA), Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.|Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: de Vicente
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007972:Leukoplakia, Oral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009055:Mouth / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D051670:Shaw Potassium Channels / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C492015:KCNC4 protein, human; D051670:Shaw Potassium Channels
keywords: Kv3.4; dysplasia; immunohistochemistry; oral carcinoma; potassium channel