Human Pathology
Volume 39, Issue 8 , Pages 1212-1220, August 2008

Expression of claudins 1, 4, 5, and 7 and occludin, and relationship with prognosis in squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue☆

  • Ibrahim O. Bello, BDS

      Affiliations

    • Department of Diagnostics and Oral Medicine, Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Finland and Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
    • Department of Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
    • ,
  • Suvi-Tuuli Vilen, DDS

      Affiliations

    • Institute of Dentistry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
    • ,
  • Ahti Niinimaa, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
    • ,
  • Saara Kantola, DDS, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Diagnostics and Oral Medicine, Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Finland and Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
    • ,
  • Ylermi Soini, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Departments of Pathology, Universities of Oulu and Kuopio, and Oulu and Kuopio University Hospitals, Finland
    • ,
  • Tuula Salo, DDS, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Diagnostics and Oral Medicine, Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Finland and Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Department of Diagnostics and Oral Medicine, Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland.

Received 28 May 2007; received in revised form 12 December 2007; accepted 13 December 2007. published online 11 June 2008.

Summary 

Claudins and occludin are tight junctional proteins known to play a role in normal tissues and epithelial tumors. We analyzed the distribution patterns of claudins 1, 4, 5, and 7 and occludin in the superficial and invasive front of squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue of 97 patients and their relationship to cause-specific (squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue) patient survival (median follow-up period of 33.5 months; range, 1-234 months). Claudins 1 and 7 were strongly expressed, claudin 4 had moderate expression, whereas claudin 5 was least expressed. Occludin staining was mostly negative or very weak. Western blot analysis of tongue carcinoma (HSC-3) cells showed that all these proteins are also expressed in vitro. In cause-specific survival analysis, strong and low immunoreactivity of claudin 7 tended to be associated with decreased survival compared with medium immunoreactivity. We suggest that analyzing the immunohistologic staining levels of claudin 7 could be used for the prognostic purposes in patients with tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

Keywords: Claudins, Occludin, Squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, Prognosis

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☆ The study was supported by the Academy of Finland, Oulu University Central Hospital EVO grants (OUCH-EVO), Finland, the Finnish Cancer Research Foundation, the Foundation of the Finnish Anti-Tuberculosis Association, Finland, the Oskar Öflunds Stiftelse, Helsinki, Finland.

PII: S0046-8177(08)00003-8

doi:10.1016/j.humpath.2007.12.015

Human Pathology
Volume 39, Issue 8 , Pages 1212-1220, August 2008

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