Absence of multinucleated giant cell reaction as an indicator of tumor progression in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence and distribution of multinucleated giant cell (MGC) reactions in 61 cases of OTSCC and to verify the association of this microscopic finding with clinicopathological parameters (gender, age, tumor size/extent, regional lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, clinical stage, and histopathological grade of malignancy). METHODS: Clinical data were collected from medical records and the histopathological grade of malignancy of OTSCCs was evaluated using the World Health Organization (WHO) grading system. The presence and distribution of MGC reaction in high power fields (HPFs) were evaluated in hematoxylin-eosin-stained histological sections. In all cases containing MGCs, immunohistochemical analysis for CD68 was performed in order to confirm the histiocytic nature of these cells. RESULTS: Twenty-one (34.4%) cases had MGC reactions, with a higher frequency of the focal distribution pattern (57.1%). All MGCs were immunohistochemically positive for CD68. The absence of MGC reaction was significantly associated with regional lymph node metastasis (PR: 2.75; 95% CI 1.05-7.20; p = 0.027), advanced clinical stage (PR: 3.37; 95% CI 1.28-8.85; p = 0.006), and moderately/poorly differentiated tumors (PR: 3.36; 95% CI 1.51-7.48; p = 0.001). No significant associations were observed between the distribution of MGCs and clinicopathological parameters (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Taken together, the results of this study suggest that the absence of MGC reaction may represent an indicator of tumor progression in OTSCCs.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition modulates lower lip carcinogenesis and promotes cancer progression.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate and compare the immunoexpression of E-cadherin, α-SMA, TGF-ß and Snail proteins between cases of actinic cheilitis (AC) and squamous cell carcinoma of the lower lip (LLSCC). STUDY DESIGN: E-cadherin, α-SMA, TGF-ß and Snail antibody immunostaining was analyzed semiquantitatively in 54 AC cases and in 49 LLSCCs. The cases were classified as low and high expression for analysis of the association with clinicopathological variables and overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates. RESULTS: High expression of E-cadherin (cytoplasmic) (p = 0.001) and α-SMA (p < 0.001) was identified in LLSCCs, as well as low expression of TGF-ß in LLSCCs (p < 0.001) and high expression of Snail in AC cases (p = 0.006). Survival analysis revealed that high expression of α-SMA at the tumor invasion front, a network immunostaining pattern of this protein, and high expression of TGF-ß in tumor buds were significantly associated with poor OS (p < 0.05). There was a higher risk of death among LLSCC cases with high expression of α-SMA (HR = 5.90, p = 0.03). High expression of TGF-ß in tumor buds was significantly associated with poor DFS (p = 0.007) and with a higher risk of negative outcomes for DFS (HR = 4.44, p = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: The present results suggest the potential involvement of dysregulation of proteins associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition in the modulation of lip carcinogenesis and greater aggressiveness of LLSCC.