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Bag‐1 Expression as a Prognostic Factor in Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinomas
Author(s) -
Xie Xin,
Clausen Ole Petter F.,
Boysen Morten
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1097/00005537-200410000-00021
Subject(s) - apoptosis , immunohistochemistry , tongue , pathology , cell , ki 67 , biology , correlation , epitope , stage (stratigraphy) , medicine , antigen , immunology , paleontology , biochemistry , genetics , geometry , mathematics
Objectives: To investigate the prognostic significance of the antiapoptotic protein Bag‐1. In addition, the relationship between Bag‐1 expression, other apoptosis‐related and proliferative parameters. Study Design: Eighty‐five randomly selected patients with T1 to T4 oral tongue squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) were studied. Methods: Sections from diagnostic, formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded specimens were stained immunohistochemically to detect Bag‐1 protein. Results: Bag‐1 expression correlated positively with apoptosis‐related parameters such as Bcl‐2 expression ( P = .001) and proliferation‐related parameters including Ki‐67, mean argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (mAgNOR), and the percentage of AgNOR (pAgNOR) ( P = .0117, P = .0257, and P = .0008, respectively). Correlation with Bag‐1 expression and T classification ( P = .0362), N classification ( P = .0284), and clinical stage ( P = .0117) was also found. In addition, Bag‐1 expression was associated with the carbohydrate epitopes H‐antigen and Le y ( P = .0004 and P = .0011, respectively). No correlation was found between Bag‐1 expression and p53 accumulation, Bax expression, or apoptotic index (AI). However, a combined score of Bcl‐2 and Bag‐1 expression was inversely associated with AI ( P = .046). Patients with tumors expressing high Bag‐1 values had a shortened disease‐specific survival time when compared with those with low Bag‐1 values ( P = .0017). A two‐parameter combination between Bag‐1 expression and Bax expression or AI, respectively, revealed an enhanced prognostic potential ( P < .0001) when compared with single parameters. Conclusion: Correlation between Bag‐1 expression and other biologic variables revealed that Bag‐1 might be involved in several biologic processes including apoptosis and cell proliferation. The expression of Bag‐1 protein, particularly in combination with Bax expression or AI, respectively, has prognostic value in oral tongue SCC.