Li Ke, Wang Shuai, Li Zihui, Yu Qiuya, Liu Lingyun, Li Fuyan, Zhang Lei, Sun Guowen, Ni Yanhong
Central Laboratory of Stomatology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Research Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Research Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
J Oral Pathol Med. 2025 Mar;54(3):173-181. doi: 10.1111/jop.13608. Epub 2025 Feb 3.
The molecular profile of cells within the tumor invasive zone, where tumor cells interact with surrounding non-tumor cells, plays a crucial role in defining tumor malignant characteristics, such as the pattern of invasion (POI). Therefore, evaluating the diagnostic value of the proliferation index molecule, Ki-67, in both tumor cells and adjacent non-tumor cells at the invasive zone with different POIs, holds significant clinical importance for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).
This retrospective study included 133 primary OSCC samples, and the spatial pattern of Ki-67 in the tumor invasive zone was analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The prognostic value of tumor cells and stroma proliferative capacity in different POIs were assessed.
Ki-67 was widely expressed in tumor cells and stroma cells within the invasive zone, and cells in high-invasiveness POIs exhibit higher proliferation. Elevated Ki-67 expression in tumor cells was associated with poor overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in patients, which is independent of POIs. In our study, we identified the expression level of Ki-67 in tumor cells across high-invasiveness POIs as an independent risk factor for OS and DFS in OSCC patiens. Additionally, Ki-67 expression in surrounding non-tumor cells did not significantly correlate with patient survival.
The remarkable proliferation characteristic of tumor cells in high-invasiveness POIs of OSCC tumors plays a crucial role in the prognosis of patients.
在肿瘤浸润区域，肿瘤细胞与周围非肿瘤细胞相互作用，该区域内细胞的分子特征在定义肿瘤恶性特征（如侵袭模式）方面起着关键作用。因此，评估增殖指数分子Ki-67在具有不同侵袭模式的侵袭区域的肿瘤细胞和相邻非肿瘤细胞中的诊断价值，对口腔鳞状细胞癌（OSCC）具有重要的临床意义。
这项回顾性研究纳入了133例原发性OSCC样本，通过免疫组织化学（IHC）分析Ki-67在肿瘤侵袭区域的空间模式。评估不同侵袭模式下肿瘤细胞和基质增殖能力的预后价值。
Ki-67在侵袭区域的肿瘤细胞和基质细胞中广泛表达，高侵袭性侵袭模式的细胞增殖更高。肿瘤细胞中Ki-67表达升高与患者较差的总生存期（OS）和无病生存期（DFS）相关，且与侵袭模式无关。在我们的研究中，我们确定高侵袭性侵袭模式下肿瘤细胞中Ki-67的表达水平是OSCC患者OS和DFS的独立危险因素。此外，周围非肿瘤细胞中Ki-67的表达与患者生存率无显著相关性。
OSCC肿瘤高侵袭性侵袭模式下肿瘤细胞显著的增殖特征在患者预后中起关键作用。
