Prognostic significance of NDRG1 expression in oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Human N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1 (NDRG1) is a metastasis suppressor gene with several potential functions, including cell differentiation, cell cycle regulation and response to hormones, nickel and stress. The purpose of this study was to investigate the immunoexpression of NDRG1 in oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas searching for its role in the clinical course of these tumors. We investigated immunohistochemical expression of NDRG1 protein in 412 tissue microarray cores of tumor samples from 103 patients with oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas and in 110 paraffin-embedded surgical margin sections. The results showed NDRG1 up-regulation in 101/103 (98.1 %) tumor samples, but no expression in any normal tissue sample. Western blot assays confirmed the immunohistochemical findings, suggesting that lower levels of NDRG1 are associated with a high mortality rate. NDRG1 overexpression was related to long-term specific survival (HR = 0.38; p = 0.009), whereas the presence of lymph-node metastasis showed the opposite association with survival (HR = 2.45; p = 0.013). Our findings reinforce the idea that NDRG1 plays a metastasis suppressor role in oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas and may be a useful marker for these tumors.

Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP)

Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo/FAPESP [04/12054-9]

Associacao Beneficente Alzira Denise Hertzog Silva/ABADHS

Associacao Beneficente Alzira Denise Hertzog Silva (ABADHS)

Conselho Nacional de Pesquisas (CNPq)

Conselho Nacional de Pesquisas (CNPq)

Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES)

Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES)

Instituto Israelita de Ensino e Pesquisa Albert Einstein

Instituto Israelita de Ensino e Pesquisa Albert Einstein

Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research

Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research