Open AccessVimentin is a potential prognostic factor for tongue squamous cell carcinoma among five epithelial–mesenchymal transition-related proteins
Author(s) -
PeiFeng Liu,
BorHwang Kang,
Yimin Wu,
Ju-Hsin Sun,
Liang-Ming Yen,
TingYing Fu,
Yun-Chung Lin,
HorngHuei Liou,
YaohShiang Lin,
Huei-Cin Sie,
I-Chien Hsieh,
YuKai Tseng,
ChihWen Shu,
Yao-Dung Hsieh,
LuoPing Ger
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0178581
Subject(s) - vimentin , epithelial–mesenchymal transition , cadherin , pathology , carcinogenesis , cancer research , tissue microarray , snail , immunohistochemistry , metastasis , biology , oncology , medicine , cancer , cell , genetics , ecology
We aimed to investigate the association of the expression levels of five epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins (Snail, Twist, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and Vimentin) with tumorigenesis, pathologic parameters and prognosis in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) patients by immunohistochemistry of tissue microarray. The expression levels of Snail, E-cadherin, N-cadherin and Vimentin were significantly different between the tumor adjacent normal and tumor tissues. In tumor tissues, lower E-cadherin and higher N-cadherin levels were associated with a higher grade of cell differentiation, advanced stage of disease, and lymph node metastasis. However, higher Vimentin expression was associated with poor cell differentiation and lymph node metastasis. Patients with low E-cadherin expression had poor disease-specific survival (DSS). Conversely, positive N-cadherin and higher Vimentin expression levels were associated with poor DSS and disease-free survival. Notably, our multivariate Cox regression model indicated that high Vimentin expression was an adverse prognostic factor for DSS in TSCC patients, even after the adjustment for cell differentiation, pathological stage, and expression levels of Snail, Twist, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin. Snail, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and Vimentin were associated with tumorigenesis and pathological outcomes. Among the five EMT-related proteins, Vimentin was a potential prognostic factor for TSCC patients.