Expression of BUBR1 in human oral potentially malignant disorders and squamous cell carcinoma
Received 5 February 2009; received in revised form 15 July 2009; accepted 6 August 2009. published online 18 November 2009.
Objective
BUBR1 is one of the key components of the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) machinery and is activated in response to kinetochore tension. Defects in the SAC contribute to an increased rate of aneuploidization during tumorigenesis. The aim of the present study was to examine the immunohistochemical expression of BUBR1 protein for human oral squamous cell carcinogenesis.
Study design
A total of 120 samples of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC, n = 43) and 5 types of potentially malignant disorders (PMDs: oral epithelial dysplasia, n = 11; hyperkeratosis/epithelial hyperplasia, n = 20; lichen planus, n = 16; submucous fibrosis, n = 19; and verrucous hyperplasia, n = 11) of human oral mucosa (1991-2001) from our institution were retrieved and immunohistochemical staining were performed. Normal oral mucosa (n = 9) and fibrous hyperplasia (n = 9) from patients without the aforementioned oral habits were also included in the study.
Results
BUBR1 staining was detected at the basal and suprabasal layers in 75 (97.4%) of 77 samples of PMD and 43 (100%) of 43 samples of SCC of oral mucosa but was absent in all samples of normal oral mucosa (n = 9) and fibrous hyperplasia (n = 9). BUBR1 expression of various types of PMD and SCC of oral mucosa was significantly overexpressed as compared respectively with normal mucosa (P < .001) and fibrous hyperplasia (P < .001). Moreover, the expression of oral SCC was significantly higher as compared respectively with the 5 types of oral PMD; on the other hand, BUBR1 expression of verrucous hyperplasia was significantly higher than that of the other 4 types of PMD of oral mucosa (P < .001).
Conclusion
Our results may interpret that BUBR1 protein is suggested to be one of the contributing factors involved in the pathogenesis of oral SCC. These also hypothesize that BUBR1 protein is a putative biomarker for human oral squamous cell carcinogenesis.
aPhD Student, Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
bLecturer, Graduate Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
cAssistant Professor and Head, Department of Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, College of Dental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
dLecturer and Head, Department of Pathology, Kaohsiung Municipal Ksiaokang Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
eProfessor, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, College of Dental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
fProfessor, Graduate Institute of Public Health, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
gProfessor, Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
hProfessor, Graduate Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Reprint requests: Sheng-Fung Lin, MD, Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100, Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Hsin-Lung Wu, PhD, Graduate Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100, Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
The first two authors contributed equally to this article.
ABSTRACT