Section of Pathological Anatomy; Fourth Section of Maxillofacial Surgery; Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori; Fondazione ‘G.Pascale’; Naples, Italy
Giuseppe Pannone
Department of Surgical Sciences; Section of Anatomic Pathology; Second Section of Oral Pathology; University of Foggia; Foggia, Italy
Angela Santoro
Department of Surgical Sciences; Section of Anatomic Pathology; University of Bari; Bari, Italy
Giuseppina Liguori
Section of Pathological Anatomy; Fourth Section of Maxillofacial Surgery; Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori; Fondazione ‘G.Pascale’; Naples, Italy
Renato Franco
Section of Pathological Anatomy; Fourth Section of Maxillofacial Surgery; Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori; Fondazione ‘G.Pascale’; Naples, Italy
Rosario Serpico
Department of Oral Pathology; Orthodontics and Oral Surgery; Second University of Naples; Naples, Italy
Gianluca Florio
Department of Oral Pathology; Orthodontics and Oral Surgery; Second University of Naples; Naples, Italy
Alfredo De Rosa
Department of Oral Pathology; Orthodontics and Oral Surgery; Second University of Naples; Naples, Italy
Marilena Mattoni
Department of Surgical Sciences; Section of Anatomic Pathology; Second Section of Oral Pathology; University of Foggia; Foggia, Italy
Valentina Cozza
Department of Business Management; University of Naples Parthenope; Naples, Italy
Gerardo Botti
Section of Pathological Anatomy; Fourth Section of Maxillofacial Surgery; Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori; Fondazione ‘G.Pascale’; Naples, Italy
Simona Losito
Section of Pathological Anatomy; Fourth Section of Maxillofacial Surgery; Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori; Fondazione ‘G.Pascale’; Naples, Italy
Francesco Longo
Section of Pathological Anatomy; Fourth Section of Maxillofacial Surgery; Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori; Fondazione ‘G.Pascale’; Naples, Italy
Stefania Staibano
Section of Pathological Anatomy; Department of Biomorphological and Functional Sciences; University of Naples ‘Federico II’; Naples, Italy
Giovanni Cuda
Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine; University of Magna Graecia; Medical School; Catanzaro, Italy
Lorenzo Lo Muzio
Department of Surgical Sciences; Section of Anatomic Pathology; Second Section of Oral Pathology; University of Foggia; Foggia, Italy
Carolina Sbordone
Department of Odontostomatology and Maxillofacial Surgery; University of Naples ‘Federico II’; Naples, Italy
Pantaleo Bufo
Department of Surgical Sciences; Section of Anatomic Pathology; Second Section of Oral Pathology; University of Foggia; Foggia, Italy
Anna Grimaldi
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics; Second University of Naples; Naples, Italy
Michele Caraglia
Corresponding author: michele.caraglia@alice.it
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics; Second University of Naples; Naples, Italy
Marina Di Domenico
Department of General Pathology; Second University of Naples; Naples, Italy; Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine and Center for Biotechnology; Temple University; Philadelphia, PA USA
Abstract:
The EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) a member of the family of transmembrane protein kinase receptors known as the erbB family shows a significant correlation with the presence of metastases and poorly differentiated oral cancer. Aim of the present work is to define the key-role of EGFR in oral cancer prognosis. We have analyzed the EGFR expression on 149 cases of oral squamous cell cancers (OSCC) and we have found that it was poorly expressed in normal oral epithelium, but its expression was significantly increased in OSCCs. Moreover, we have recorded that both pEGFR-Tyr 845 and pEGFR-Tyr 1068 were mainly distributed in high histological grading and in advanced stages. Western blotting has confirmed the total absence of EGFR phosphorylation in normal oral epithelium and the higher level of protein phosphorylation in representative cases of OSCCs. The EGF-R amplification was found by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in 14% of OSCC; interestingly, EGF-R amplification was mainly observed in OSCC with higher histological grading (G2 and G3) and advanced stage (pT4) sub-groups. Kaplan-Meyer survival analysis suggested that patients with positive pEGFR-Tyr 845 tumors had a worse prognosis and were bad responders to chemotherapy. These results confirm the central role of EGF-R activation status as a prognostic biomarker in OSCC.
Received: March 23, 2012; Accepted: June 4, 2012; Published Online: July 24, 2012
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