Ephrin Receptor (Eph) -A1, -A2, -A4 and -A7 Expression in Mobile Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Associations with Clinicopathological Parameters and Patients Survival

[摘要] Ephrin receptors (Ephs) are frequently overexpressed in a wide variety of human malignant tumors, being associated with tumor growth, invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis. The present study aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of Eph-A1, -A2, -A4 and -A7 protein expression in mobile tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Eph-A1, -A2, -A4 and -A7 protein expression was assessed immunohistochemically on 37 mobile tongue SCC tissue samples and was analyzed in relation with clinicopathological characteristics, overall and disease-free patients�? survival. All the examined mobile tongue SCC cases were found positive for Eph-A1, -A2, -A4 and -A7. Significant associations were noted between high Eph-A1, -A4 and -A7 expression and absence of lymph node metastases (p�?=�?0.0263, p�?=�?0.0461 and p�?=�?0.0461, respectively). High Eph-A1, -A2 and -A7 expression was significantly more frequently observed in patients presenting absence of vascular invasion (p�?=�?0.0444), dense stromal inflammatory reaction (p�?=�?0.0063) and female gender (p�?=�?0.0327), respectively. Mobile tongue SCC patients with high Eph-A7 expression presented longer overall and disease-free survival compared to those with low Eph-A7 expression (log-rank test, p�?=�?0.0093 and p�?=�?0.0164, respectively). In multivariate analysis, Eph-A7 expression was identified as independent prognostic factor of overall survival (Cox-regression analysis, p�?=�?0.0426). The present study supported evidence that Ephs may participate in the malignant transformation of mobile tongue SCC, reinforcing their utility as clinical markers for patients�? management and prognosis, as also as targets for potential therapeutic intervention in tongue chemoprevention.

[学科分类] 生理学与病理学

[关键词] Immunohistochemistry