Prognostic significance of NDRG1 expression in oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Author(s):Show less -

dos Santos, Marcelo ^{[1, 2]} ; da Cunha Mercante, Ana Maria ; Nunes, Fabio Daumas ^[3] ; Leopoldino, Andreia Machado ^[4] ; de Carvalho, Marcos Brasilino ^[1] ; Gazito, Diana ^[1] ; Mendoza Lopez, Rossana Veronica ^[5] ; Olga Chiappini, Paula Blandina ^[1] ; de Carvalho Neto, Paulo Bentes ; Fukuyama, Erica Erina ^[6] ; Tajara, Eloiza Helena ^{[7, 8]} ; Louro, Iuri Drumond ^[9] ; Alvares da Silva, Adriana Madeira ^[1] ; GENCAPO, Head Neck Genome Project

Affiliation

^[1] Hosp Heliopolis, Lab Biol Mol, BR-04231030 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Espirito Santo, BR-29043900 Vitoria, ES - Brazil

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Estomatol, Fac Odontol, BR-05508000 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[4] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Ciencias Farmaceut, Dept Anal Clin Toxicol & Bromatol, BR-14040903 Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil

^[5] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Epidemiol, Fac Saude Publ, BR-01255000 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[6] Inst Canc Arnaldo Vieira Carvalho, BR-01221020 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[7] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biociencias, Dept Genet & Biol Evolut, BR-05508090 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[8] Fac Med, Dept Biol Mol, BR-15090000 Sao Jose Do Rio Preto, SP - Brazil

^[9] Univ Fed Espirito Santo, Dept Ciencias Biol, Nucleo Genet Humana & Mol, BR-29043900 Vitoria, ES - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY REPORTS; v. 39, n. 12, p. 10157-10165, DEC 2012.
• Web of Science Citations: 13

Abstract

Human N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1 (NDRG1) is a metastasis suppressor gene with several potential functions, including cell differentiation, cell cycle regulation and response to hormones, nickel and stress. The purpose of this study was to investigate the immunoexpression of NDRG1 in oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas searching for its role in the clinical course of these tumors. We investigated immunohistochemical expression of NDRG1 protein in 412 tissue microarray cores of tumor samples from 103 patients with oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas and in 110 paraffin-embedded surgical margin sections. The results showed NDRG1 up-regulation in 101/103 (98.1 %) tumor samples, but no expression in any normal tissue sample. Western blot assays confirmed the immunohistochemical findings, suggesting that lower levels of NDRG1 are associated with a high mortality rate. NDRG1 overexpression was related to long-term specific survival (HR = 0.38; p = 0.009), whereas the presence of lymph-node metastasis showed the opposite association with survival (HR = 2.45; p = 0.013). Our findings reinforce the idea that NDRG1 plays a metastasis suppressor role in oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas and may be a useful marker for these tumors. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 04/12054-9 - Markers of aggressive behavior in head and neck tumors
• Grantee: Eloiza Helena Tajara da Silva
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants