Loss of E-cadherin and p27 expression is associated with head and neck squamous tumorigenesis

Cancer. 2005 Mar 1;103(5):952-9. doi: 10.1002/cncr.20879.

Abstract

Background: In neoplastic head and neck lesions, it has been found that the loss or reduction in E-cadherin expression is a late event and is associated with invasion. Low p27 levels have been associated with a poor prognosis in many different tumors, including laryngeal carcinoma. The authors investigated p27 and E-cadherin protein expression in the early stages of head and neck tumorigenesis and evaluated their predictive roles individually and in association with carcinogenesis.

Methods: Tissue biopsies from 46 patients who were participants in 3 chemoprevention trials were analyzed for E-cadherin expression, and 40 samples were analyzed for p27 expression using immunohistochemistry.

Results: The data suggested that loss of both E-cadherin expression and p27 expression occurred early during the preneoplastic steps of head and neck carcinogenesis, and loss of p27 protein expression alone (P=0.02) and in combination with loss of E-cadherin expression (P=0.04) was a significant predictor of the risk for head and neck carcinoma.

Conclusions: The loss of p27 expression may be useful in the construction of a risk model for head and neck carcinogenesis and may represent a potential target for chemopreventive interventions. Longer follow-up of the high percentage of low-risk preneoplastic lesions in the current study and validation in a larger sample size may be required to establish the predictive role of these abnormalities.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Cadherins / metabolism*
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / metabolism*
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27
  • Female
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prognosis
  • Time Factors
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Cadherins
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27