Basement membrane type IV collagen in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Biopsied specimens of 82 oral squamous cell carcinomas were immunohistochemically studied for detection of type IV collagen existence in the basement membrane (BM). Immunoreactivity on BM was semiquantitatively evaluated as limited (+/-), moderate (+), or extensive (+ +), and matched against clinical and histopathologic features. No clear difference in BM deposition could be found in the tumor sites. The amount of type IV collagen decreased in advanced T stage (T3 and T4) tumors. BM deposition was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis. In 54 N-, 32 had extensive deposition, 18 had moderate, and the remaining had limited. Conversely, only 5 of 28 N+ cases showed good type IV collagen immunoreactivity and 14 cases exhibited limited BM deposition. BM existence was also associated with the mode of invasion. BM deposition decreased in order with the grade (i.e., the more limited the BM deposition, the more diffuse the invasion mode). BM deposition was, however, not related with stromal responses, such as cellular infiltrates and fibrosis. We conclude that immunohistochemical examinations of BM deposition on biopsied specimens seem beneficial for cancer treatment.