The Clinicopathological and Prognostic Significance of α-catulin Expression in Head Neck Squamous Cell Cancers / 中国医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

Objective Rho signaling component α-catulin,is a cytoskeletal linker protein and plays an important role in apoptotic and senescence resistance,cytoskeletal reorganization,mobility,invasion and epithelial to mesenchymal transition(EMt)of cancer cells. Methods Here,we ex-amined α-catulin expression in squamous epithelium,dysplasia and cancer of head and neck on tissue microarrays by immunostaining. Its expres-sion was compared with clinicopathological parameters and survival rate of cancers. Results It was found that α-catulin expression level was signifi-cantly higher in primary cancers than that in normal squamous epithelium and dysplasia(P 0.05). Cox′s proportional hazard model indicated that distant metastasis and tNM staging were independent prognostic factors for overall survival of the patients with head and neck squamous carcinoma(HNSCC,P < 0.05). Conclusion these findings suggested that up-regulated expression of α-catulin protein may play an important role in the pathogenesis of HNSCC,which might be employed as a potential marker for tumorgenesis of HNSCCs.