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. 2014 Jul 21:9:145.
doi: 10.1186/1746-1596-9-145.

Study of β-catenin, E-cadherin and vimentin in oral squamous cell carcinoma with and without lymph node metastases

Partheeban Balasundaram, Manoj Kumar Singh  1 , Amit Kumar Dinda, Alok Thakar, Rajni Yadav
Affiliations

Study of β-catenin, E-cadherin and vimentin in oral squamous cell carcinoma with and without lymph node metastases

Partheeban Balasundaram et al. Diagn Pathol. .

Abstract

Background: Despite great improvement in the surgical treatment and adjunctive therapy for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), prognosis remains dismal in advanced cases. Regional metastatic disease is known to reduce recurrence free survival and disease specific survival significantly. The present study was conducted to evaluate the role of cell adhesion molecules β-catenin, E-cadherin and vimentin in predicting tumour metastasis of OSCC.

Methods: A total of sixty cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma were included for the study which comprised of 30 cases with lymph node metastases and 30 cases without metastases. Immunohistochemistry was performed for β-catenin, E-cadherin and vimentin on both the test groups along with 30 controls from normal buccal mucosa and inflammatory lesions each.

Results: There was no significant difference between the immunoreactivity for β-catenin, E-cadherin and vimentin between OSCC with and without lymph node metastases. Vimentin immunopositivity was noted with varying intensity in all cases of OSCC.

Conclusions: E-cadherin and β-catenin are probably not the key determinants for regional metastases in OSCC. The role of vimentin expression in OSCC and metastases is controversial and needs to be studied further.

Virtual slides: The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/6506095201182002.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Staining pattern of normal buccal mucosa. A. Normal buccal mucosa, H&E X200; B. High immunoreactivity of β-catenin in normal buccal mucosa X200; C. High immunoreactivity of E-cadherin in normal buccal mucosa X200; D. Absence of immunostaining for vimentin in normal squamous epithelium of buccal mucosa X200.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Staining pattern of oral lichen planus. A. Oral lichen planus, H&E XX200; B. High immunoreactivity for β-catenin in squamous epithelium of a case of lichen planus X200; C. High immunoreactivity for E-cadherin in squamous epithelium of a case of lichen planus X200; D. Absence of immunostaining for vimentin in squamous epithelium in a case of lichen planus X200.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Staining pattern of squamous cell carcinoma. A. Squamous cell carcinoma, buccal mucosa, H&E X200; B. Low immunoreactivity of β-catenin in a case of squamous cell ]carcinoma X200; C. Low immunoreactivity of E-cadherin in a case of squamous cell carcinoma X200; D. Low immunoreactivity for vimentin in a case of squamous cell carcinoma X200.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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