title: Expression of hypoxia-induced factor-1 alpha in early-stage and in metastatic oral squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: To investigate hypoxia-induced factor-1 alpha expression in distinct oral squamous cell carcinoma subtypes and topographies and correlate with clinicopathological data. Hypoxia-induced factor-1 alpha expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry in 93 cases of OSCC. Clinical and histopathological data were reviewed from medical records. Hypoxia-induced factor-1 alpha status was distinct according to tumor location, subtype and topography affect. In superficial oral squamous cell carcinomas, most tumor cells overexpressed hypoxia-induced factor-1 alpha, whereas hypoxia-induced factor-1 alpha was restricted to the intratumoral region in conventional squamous cell carcinomas. All basaloid squamous cell carcinomas exhibited downregulation of hypoxia-induced factor-1 alpha. Interestingly, metastatic lymph nodes (91.7%, p = 0.001) and the intratumoral regions of corresponding primary tumors (58.3%, p = 0.142) showed hypoxia-induced factor-1 alpha-positive tumor cells. Overall survival was poor in patients with metastatic lymph nodes. Hypoxia-induced factor-1 alpha has distinct expression patterns in different oral squamous cell carcinoma subtypes and topographies, suggesting that low oxygen tension promotes the growth pattern of superficial and conventional squamous cell carcinoma, but not basaloid squamous cell carcinoma. Indeed, a hypoxic environment may facilitate regional metastasis, making it a useful diagnostic and prognostic marker in primary tumors.
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Dentistry, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Dentistry, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sarah R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Dentistry, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Monarko N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Azevedo
authors.affiliation: 2 Anatomic Pathology Sector, Araújo Jorge Hospital, Goiânia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ailton C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Fraga
authors.affiliation: 3 Head and Neck Sector, Araújo Jorge Hospital, Goiânia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antônio Pm
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Gontijo
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Dentistry, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eneida F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Vêncio
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000737:chemistry / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging
chemical_list: D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit
keywords: Basaloid squamous cell carcinomas; hypoxia-induced factor-1 alpha; metastasis; oral squamous cell carcinoma