Related Experiment Videos
Thymidine phosphorylase expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma
Li Yao1, Shigeto Itoh, Isao Furuta
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 2630-Sugitani, Toyama, Japan. y6043604@ms.toyama-mpu.ac.jp
Oral Oncology
|August 9, 2002
Summary
Thymidine phosphorylase (TP) promotes oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) growth by increasing cell proliferation and invasion. High TP expression indicates more aggressive tumors, suggesting its potential as a prognostic marker.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Thymidine phosphorylase (TP) is an enzyme crucial for DNA synthesis, also known as platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor, involved in angiogenesis.
- Oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a prevalent malignancy where understanding tumor growth and aggressiveness markers is vital for patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the expression of Thymidine phosphorylase (TP) in oral SCC.
- To correlate TP expression with tumor vascularity, cell proliferation, apoptosis, clinicopathological features, and patient survival.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemistry was employed to examine TP expression in 66 archival oral SCC samples.
- Analysis included microvessel density (MVD), Ki-67 staining for proliferation, and assessment of apoptotic index (AI).
- Correlation with clinicopathological parameters such as tumor invasion patterns and lymph node metastasis was performed.
Main Results:
- TP expression was detected in oral SCC tissues but not in normal adjacent epithelia.
- High TP expression correlated significantly with increased cell proliferation (Ki-67) and a tendency towards lower apoptosis (AI).
- TP expression showed a significant correlation with tumor invasion patterns and a marginal correlation with lymph node metastasis.
Conclusions:
- Thymidine phosphorylase (TP) enzyme appears to play a role in promoting tumor growth in oral SCC.
- TP expression levels can serve as an indicator of tumor aggressiveness and potentially a prognostic marker in oral SCC.