title: Expression of MAGE-A1-A12 subgroups in the invasive tumor front and tumor center in oral squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: MAGE-A proteins are highly expressed in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and are promising targets for cancer immunotherapy. This study examined the presence of MAGE-A expression within the tumor center (TC) and tumor invasive front (TIF) and evaluated its relationship to poor prognosis. The expression rate of each MAGE-A subtype, A1-A12, was examined in 68 OSCCs at the TIF and TC. Slides (1-µm) of tissue microarrays (diameter =0.6 mm) were immunohistochemically stained, and the findings were correlated to clinical data. Approximately 95% of the tumors had MAGE-A expression. Higher expression in the TC was shown significantly for MAGE-A1, -A5, -A6, -A9 and -A12 (P<0.05). MAGE-A2 and -A3 exhibited the opposite behavior (not significant, P>0.05). Age, tumor size, grade and survival time were not associated with the expression of certain MAGE-A subgroups. When expression in the whole tumor tissue was considered, only MAGE-A1 was expressed at a significantly higher rate in male patients (P=0.034). At the TIF, MAGE-A9 and the UICC disease stage were significantly correlated (P=0.0263), and MAGE-A6 and the UICC disease stage exhibited a strong trend (P=0.0596). The expression of MAGE-A3, -A4, -A5, -A9 and -A11 was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis, while MAGE-A4 was expressed in all regions of the tumors (TIF and TC). This study showed that higher expression of most MAGE-A antigens occurred at the TC rather than at the TIF. MAGE‑A1, -A3, -A4, -A5, -A9 and -A11 were significantly associated with clinically advanced stages of disease and seem to be of particular interest.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Würzburg, D-97070 Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brisam
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, University Würzburg, D-97080 Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rauthe
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Würzburg, D-97070 Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Würzburg, D-97070 Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Linz
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Würzburg, D-97070 Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Brands
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Würzburg, D-97070 Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Kübler
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, University Würzburg, D-97080 Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosenwald
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Würzburg, D-97070 Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: U D
authors.initials: UD
authors.lastname: Müller-Richter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D040081:Protein Array Analysis / Q000379:methods; D047368:Tumor Burden
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm