Expressions of E-cadherin, Cortactin and MMP-9 in Pseudoepitheliomatous Hyperplasia and Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck: Their Relationships with Clinicopathologic Factors and Prognostic Implication

• Published in: Journal of pathology and translational medicine Vol. 46; no. 4; pp. 331 - 340
• Main Authors: You, Tack Kune, Kim, Kyoung Min, Noh, Sang Jae, Bae, Jun Sang, Jang, Kyu Yun, Chung, Myoung Ja, Moon, Woo Sung, Kang, Myoung Jae, Lee, Dong Geun, Park, Ho Sung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Society of Pathologists, Korean Society for Cytopathology 01-08-2012; The Korean Society of Pathologists and The Korean Society for Cytopathology; 대한병리학회
• Subjects: Breast cancer; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA methylation; Gene expression; Original; Proteins; Studies; Survival analysis; 병리학; Cortactin; Carcinoma, squamous cell; Cadherins; Matrix metalloproteinase 9; Head and neck neoplasms; Pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia
• ISSN: 1738-1843; 2383-7837; 2092-8920; 2383-7845
• DOI: 10.4132/KoreanJPathol.2012.46.4.331

E-cadherin, cortactin, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 have roles in tumor development or progression, but their expression has not been fully investigated in pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia (PEH) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the head and neck.
We evaluated the immunohistochemical expression of E-cadherin, cortactin, and MMP-9 in 29 cases of PEH and 97 cases of SCC. Additionally, we evaluated their relationship with clinicopathologic factors and prognostic implications in SCC.
Thirty-five cases of SCC showed reduced expression of E-cadherin, whereas none of the PEH did. A total of 20 cases and 11 cases of SCC were immunoreactive for cortactin and MMP-9, respectively, whereas none of the PEH did. In SCC, reduced expression of E-cadherin was correlated with cortactin expression and invasion depth. Cortactin expression was correlated with differentiation, T classification, and recurrence and/or metastasis. MMP-9 expression was correlated with invasion depth. Cortactin expression was correlated with poor overall survival and relapse-free survival and it was an independent prognostic factor.
The reduced expression of E-cadherin and the expression of cortactin may be helpful for the differential diagnosis of PEH and SCC. Furthermore, cortactin expression in association with reduced E-cadherin expression is correlated with poor prognosis in SCC.