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CD44v6 in developing, dysplastic and malignant oral epithelia.
Jaana Rautava1, Tero Soukka, Pirjo Inki
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku, Lemminkäisenkatu 2, FIN-20520 Turku, Finland. jaana.rautava@utu.fi
Oral Oncology
|April 5, 2003
Summary
CD44v6 adhesion molecule levels in oral dysplasia do not predict clinical outcomes. While CD44v6 indicates normal epithelial differentiation, it reflects disordered maturation in oral dysplasia and carcinomas, but is not a reliable prognostic marker.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cell Biology
- Oral Pathology
Background:
- The CD44v6 adhesion molecule is implicated in various carcinoma progressions.
- Its specific role in oral cancer development and oral dysplasia remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the clinical significance of CD44v6 expression levels in oral dysplasias.
- To determine if CD44v6 can serve as a prognostic indicator for oral dysplasia patients.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemical staining for CD44v6 was performed on 29 oral dysplasia samples.
- Normal developing and adult oral epithelia, and oral carcinomas were used for comparative analysis.
Main Results:
- CD44v6 staining patterns were heterogeneous in both oral dysplasias and carcinomas.
- No statistically significant correlation was found between CD44v6 expression and patient outcomes in oral dysplasia.
- CD44v6 expression shifts from indicating epithelium-specific differentiation in normal mucosa to reflecting disorderly maturation in dysplasia and carcinomas.
Conclusions:
- CD44v6 expression in oral dysplasia does not correlate with clinical outcomes.
- CD44v6 is not a reliable marker for predicting the clinical behavior of oral dysplasia.
- The molecule's role shifts from differentiation marker in normal tissue to a marker of aberrant maturation in neoplastic lesions.