Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand.
Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand.
Pathol Oncol Res. 2020 Jul;26(3):1511-1518. doi: 10.1007/s12253-019-00731-z. Epub 2019 Aug 31.
Synergistic loss of E-cadherin and acquisition of vimentin are characteristic feature of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) which confers an invasive phenotype of epithelial cancer cells. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of E-cadherin and vimentin expression individually and in combination as a measure of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Expression of E-cadherin and vimentin through immunohistochemical analysis was examined in 200 patients with surgically resected OSCC. Combined E-cadherin and vimentin expression was evaluated to determine the EMT status. Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank test were used to compare differences in survival. Cox regression analysis was performed to identify independent prognostic factors. E-cadherin expression was negative in 28 (14%) tumors, and vimentin expression was positive in 87 (43.5%) tumors. Moreover, 99 (49.5%), 87 (43.5%), and 14 (7.5%) tumors exhibited no, partial, and complete EMT, respectively. Both individual protein expression were significant prognostic factors [Negative E-cadherin, hazard ratio (HR) = 1.74, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.04-2.93; positive vimentin, HR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.12-2.41]. For EMT status, the HR increased with EMT progression [partial EMT, HR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.09-2.49; complete EMT, HR = 2.88, 95% CI = 1.44-5.79], of which, the complete EMT had higher HR than was individual protein expression. Combined E-cadherin and vimentin expression as a measure of EMT showed a superior prognostic significance compared with individual protein expression.
E-钙黏蛋白的协同缺失和波形蛋白的获得是上皮-间质转化（EMT）的特征性特征，它赋予上皮癌细胞侵袭表型。本研究旨在评估 E-钙黏蛋白和波形蛋白的表达作为上皮-间质转化（EMT）的指标，分别和联合表达对口腔鳞状细胞癌（OSCC）的预后意义。通过免疫组织化学分析，检查了 200 例接受手术切除的 OSCC 患者的 E-钙黏蛋白和波形蛋白的表达。通过评估联合 E-钙黏蛋白和波形蛋白的表达来确定 EMT 状态。Kaplan-Meier 曲线和对数秩检验用于比较生存差异。Cox 回归分析用于识别独立的预后因素。28 例（14%）肿瘤的 E-钙黏蛋白表达为阴性，87 例（43.5%）肿瘤的波形蛋白表达为阳性。此外，99 例（49.5%）、87 例（43.5%）和 14 例（7.5%）肿瘤分别表现为无、部分和完全 EMT。两种蛋白的单独表达都是显著的预后因素[E-钙黏蛋白阴性，危险比（HR）=1.74，95%置信区间（CI）=1.04-2.93；波形蛋白阳性，HR=1.64，95%CI=1.12-2.41]。对于 EMT 状态，随着 EMT 进展，HR 增加[部分 EMT，HR=1.64，95%CI=1.09-2.49；完全 EMT，HR=2.88，95%CI=1.44-5.79]，其中完全 EMT 的 HR 高于单独的蛋白表达。作为 EMT 指标的联合 E-钙黏蛋白和波形蛋白表达与单独的蛋白表达相比，具有更好的预后意义。
