BUBR1 expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma and its relationship to tumor stage and survival.

BACKGROUND: Defects in the mitotic spindle checkpoint have been proposed to contribute to the chromosomal instability observed in human cancers, including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). BUBR1 is a key component of the spindle checkpoint, whose role in oral carcinogenesis still needs to be clarified. METHODS: We have analyzed the expression of BUBR1 in 49 cases of OSCC by immunohistochemistry and compared the findings with clinicopathologic parameters, proliferative activity, and DNA ploidy. RESULTS: BUBR1 was overexpressed in 11 cases (22.4%). Tumors with overexpression of BUBR1 were associated with a less advanced pathologic stage (p = .05) and showed longer survival periods (p = .38) but shorter recurrence-free survival periods (p = .13) than those without it. CONCLUSIONS: Our data imply the possibility that BUBR1 may be involved in the progression of OSCC, and suggest that BUBR1 may be a promising prognostic marker in patients with OSCC.