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Analysis of activated EGFR signalling pathways and their relation to laminin-5 γ2 chain expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC)

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Abstract

Overexpression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was shown for the majority of squamous cell carcinomas. The EGFR expression correlates to tumour size, stage and cytoplasmic accumulation of the laminin-5 γ2 chain (Ln-5/γ2), which is known as a marker of invading tumour cells. There is only limited knowledge if and how EGFR signalling pathways are important for invasion-associated processes and for the regulation of Ln-5/γ2. Therefore the distribution of phosphorylated Erk1/2, p38 MAPK and Akt was immunohistochemically defined in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) of different histological grade and compared to histological criteria of invasion and cytoplasmic Ln-5/γ2 deposition. With raising histological grade, there is a slight increase in nuclear pErk1/2-stained tumour cells (P=0.398) and a loss of nuclear (P=0.593) and increased cytoplasmic staining (P=0.144) of pAkt mainly in invading OSCC cells. Nuclear pp38 MAPK could only be sporadically detected in few cases. In case of pErk1/2 and pAkt, only a partial co-localisation could be revealed in cases with abundant kinases and Ln-5/γ2. Among the investigated kinases, only pAkt shows a relation to histological grade and invasion in OSCC. pErk1/2, pp38 MAPK and pAkt do not represent a direct link between EGFR and Ln-5 synthesis. Therefore, enhanced Ln-5/γ2 may be a secondary phenomenon of EGFR-induced tumour cell proliferation and dissemination.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Christiane Geier, Carola König and Barbara Bergholz for excellent technical assistance. The study was partially supported by the Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro (AIRC), by the Thuringian Ministry of Science, Research and Art (ThMWFK) and IZKF of the University Jena (B307-01028 and B307-04004) and by the European Community (FP6, LSH-CT-2003-5032, STROMA; this publication reflects only the authors’ view. The European Commission is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained.)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Pathology, Friedrich Schiller University, Ziegelmühlenweg 1, 07740, Jena, Germany

    Petra Richter, Winfried Hindermann, Detlef Katenkamp & Alexander Berndt

  2. Clinic for Maxillofacial Surgery/Plastic Surgery, Friedrich Schiller University, 07740, Jena, Germany

    Peter Hyckel & Peter Schleier

  3. Research Unit “Molecular Cell Biology”, Friedrich Schiller University, 07740, Jena, Germany

    Frank D. Böhmer

  4. Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, 16132, Genoa, Italy

    Laura Borsi

  5. Institute of Pathology, HELIOS-Klinikum, 99012, Erfurt, Germany

    Hartwig Kosmehl

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  1. Petra Richter
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Correspondence to Alexander Berndt.

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Richter, P., Böhmer, F.D., Hindermann, W. et al. Analysis of activated EGFR signalling pathways and their relation to laminin-5 γ2 chain expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Histochem Cell Biol 124, 151–160 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-005-0001-4

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