Aristeidis Chrysovergis1, Vasileios Papanikolaou1, Nicholas Mastronikolis2, Evangelos Tsiambas3,4, Spyros Katsinis5, Arezina Manoli5, Sotirios Papouliakos6, Vasileios Ragos4, Pavlos Pantos1, Dimitrios Peschos7, Stylianos Mastronikolis8, Panagiotis Fotiades9, Panagiotis Mamoulidis1,10, Despoina Spyropoulou11, Efthymios Kyrodimos1. 1. First ENT Department, Hippocration Hospital, University of Athens, Athens, Greece. 2. ENT Department, Medical School, University of Patras, Patras, Greece. 3. Department of Pathology, Immunohistochemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory, 401 General Army Hospital, Athens, Greece; tsiambasecyto@yahoo.gr. 4. Department of Maxillofacial, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece. 5. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Sotiria Thoracic Diseases General Hospital, Athens, Greece. 6. Department of Otolaryngology, Gennimatas General Hospital, Athens, Greece. 7. Department of Physiology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece. 8. Department of Ophthalmology, Medical School, University of Patras, Patras, Greece. 9. Department of Surgery, 424 Army Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece. 10. ENT Department, ELPIS General Hospital, Athens, Greece. 11. Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical School, University of Patras, Patras, Greece.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is characterized by a broad spectrum of genomic imbalances, including gross chromosomal (polysomy/aneuploidy) ones as well as specific gene alterations. Aberrant expression of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) seems to be a useful molecular marker for discriminating patients based on genetic signatures in a variety of solid malignancies, such as lung carcinoma. Our aim was to analyze ALK protein expression patterns in a series of OSCCs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty (n=50) OSCC tissue sections were analyzed by implementing an ALK-based immunohistochemistry protocol. Digital image analysis was performed for measuring the corresponding protein expression levels. RESULTS: ALK overexpression was observed in 14/50 (28%) OSCC tissue sections, whereas the rest 36/50 (72%) demonstrated low expression levels. ALK expression was negatively associated with grade (p=0.027) and stage (p=0.0028) of the examined cases. CONCLUSION: Abnormal ALK expression in subsets of patients with OSCC seems to be related to an aggressive phenotype (advanced stage/progressive dedifferentiation). ALK protein overexpression may be used as a significant marker for applying targeted therapeutic regimens.
BACKGROUND: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is characterized by a broad spectrum of genomic imbalances, including gross chromosomal (polysomy/aneuploidy) ones as well as specific gene alterations. Aberrant expression of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) seems to be a useful molecular marker for discriminating patients based on genetic signatures in a variety of solid malignancies, such as lung carcinoma. Our aim was to analyze ALK protein expression patterns in a series of OSCCs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty (n=50) OSCC tissue sections were analyzed by implementing an ALK-based immunohistochemistry protocol. Digital image analysis was performed for measuring the corresponding protein expression levels. RESULTS: ALK overexpression was observed in 14/50 (28%) OSCC tissue sections, whereas the rest 36/50 (72%) demonstrated low expression levels. ALK expression was negatively associated with grade (p=0.027) and stage (p=0.0028) of the examined cases. CONCLUSION: Abnormal ALK expression in subsets of patients with OSCC seems to be related to an aggressive phenotype (advanced stage/progressive dedifferentiation). ALK protein overexpression may be used as a significant marker for applying targeted therapeutic regimens.
Authors: T Iwahara; J Fujimoto; D Wen; R Cupples; N Bucay; T Arakawa; S Mori; B Ratzkin; T Yamamoto Journal: Oncogene Date: 1997-01-30 Impact factor: 9.867
Authors: Tze-Ta Huang; Cara B Gonzales; Fei Gu; Ya-Ting Hsu; Rohit R Jadhav; Chiou-Miin Wang; Spencer W Redding; Chih-En Tseng; Ching-Chih Lee; Ian M Thompson; Hau-Ren Chen; Tim Hui-Ming Huang; Nameer B Kirma Journal: Carcinogenesis Date: 2013-04-08 Impact factor: 4.944
Authors: Carolien Boeckx; Christine Weyn; Isabelle Vanden Bempt; Vanessa Deschoolmeester; An Wouters; Pol Specenier; Carl Van Laer; Danielle Van den Weyngaert; Mark Kockx; Jan B Vermorken; Marc Peeters; Patrick Pauwels; Filip Lardon; Marc Baay Journal: BMC Res Notes Date: 2014-06-04