P-cadherin expression reduced in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity: an indicatior of poor prognosis.

BACKGROUND

The loss of cadherin expression has been shown to correlate to the invasion and metastasis of many types of carcinomas. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate whether the impaired expression of E-cadherin (E-cad) and P-cadherin (P-cad) correlated with the clinical evolution and prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

METHODS

The authors used immunohistochemical methods to analyze the expression pattern of E-cad and P-cad in healthy oral mucosa, in oral carcinoma in situ (CIS), and in surgical samples of 50 patients with the early stages (Stages I-II) of OSCC.

RESULTS

E-cad showed weak expression in the basal layer of the healthy oral mucosa and reduced expression in patients with oral CIS. P-cad expression was conserved on the basal and suprabasal layers of the healthy mucosa and, also, in the CIS. In the group of patients with OSCC, univariate analysis demonstrated that reduced expression of E-cad or P-cad correlated significantly with locoregional disease recurrence in the follow-up (P=0.03 and P=0.01, respectively). However, only the reduction in the expression of P-cad emerged as an independent prognostic marker in the multivariate analysis (P=0.04, hazard ratio =8.06).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggested that a decrease in E-cad and/or P-cad expression may contribute to the invasive potential of early OSCC. According to the current data, P-cad expression may be a potential independent prognostic factor in patients with OSCC.