Epithelial-mesenchymal transition related to bone invasion in oral squamous cell carcinoma

• Published in: Journal of bone oncology Vol. 33; p. 100418
• Main Authors: Vanini, Jaqueline Vaz, Koyama, Leonardo Kenji Sakaue, de Matos, Leandro Luongo, Junior, José Martins Figueredo, Cernea, Claudio Roberto, Nagano, Cibele Pidorodeski, Coutinho-Camillo, Cláudia Malheiros, Hsieh, Ricardo, Lourenço, Silvia Vanessa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier GmbH 01.04.2022; Elsevier
• Subjects: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition; Neoplasm invasion; Research Paper; Squamous cell carcinoma; Epithelial-mesenchymal transition; OSCC; Squamous cell carcinoma; EMT; Neoplasm invasion; EMT, epithelial-mesenchymal transition; OSCC, oral squamous cell carcinoma
• ISSN: 2212-1374; 2212-1366; 2212-1374
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jbo.2022.100418

•Presence of epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers in tumor-bone interface.•Dominant infiltrative pattern in bone tissue is associated with lower survival.•E-cadherin-positive cases were associated with tobacco smoking.•Vimentin-positive cases were associated with tumors under 4 cm.•Twist could be strongly involved in bone invasion and in disease progression. Bone invasion is an important prognostic factor in oral squamous cell carcinoma, leading to a lower survival rate and the use of aggressive treatment approaches. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is possibly involved in this process, because it is often related to mechanisms of cell motility and invasiveness. This study examined whether a panel of epithelial-mesenchymal markers are present in cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma with bone invasion and whether these proteins have any relationship with patients’ clinical-pathological parameters and prognostic factors. Immunohistochemical analysis of E-cadherin, twist, vimentin, TGFβ1, and periostin was performed in paraffin-embedded samples of 62 oral squamous cell carcinoma cases. The analysis revealed that most cases (66%) presented with a dominant tumor infiltrative pattern in bone tissue, associated with lower survival rates, when compared with cases with a dominant erosive invasion pattern (P = 0.048). Twenty-seven cases (43%) expressed markers that were compatible with total or partial EMT at the tumor-bone interface. There was no association between evidence of total or partial EMT and other demographic or prognostic features. E-cadherin-positive cases were associated with tobacco smoking (P = 0.022); vimentin-positive cases correlated with tumors under 4 cm (P = 0.043). Twistexpression was observed in tumors with a dominant infiltrative pattern (P = 0.041) and was associated with the absence of periostin (P = 0.031). We observed evidence of total or partial EMT in oral squamous cell carcinoma bone invasion. The transcription factor twist appears to be involved in bone invasion and disease progression.