E-cadherin downregulation and Twist overexpression since early stages of oral carcinogenesis

There is some evidence of Twist participation in oral carcinogenesis; however, little is known about its interaction with E-cadherin in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) development. This experimental study included an immunohistochemical analysis of Twist and E-cadherin proteins in paraffin-embedded specimens of oral leukoplakia (OL), OSCC, and normal oral mucosa. In addition, it was also performed a Western blot and double-immunofluorescence analysis of Twist and E-cadherin expression in OSCC cell lines. Significant differences in Twist and E-cadherin immunoexpression were observed between normal oral mucosa and OL, with an inverse relation since the earliest stages of oral dysplasia (r = -0,512; P < 0.001). Western blot and double-immunofluorescence analysis showed differences in Twist and E-cadherin expression among human oral keratinocytes and OSCC cell lines suggesting that downregulation of E-cadherin occurs in a dependent manner of Twist in OSCC. Our results showed a possible value of Twist and E-cadherin in the prediction of risk of oral epithelium malignant transformation.