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BMC Cancer
Published in: BMC Cancer 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Research article

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR), tissue factor (TF) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR): tumor expression patterns and prognostic value in oral cancer

Authors: Anders Christensen, Katalin Kiss, Giedrius Lelkaitis, Karina Juhl, Morten Persson, Birgitte Wittenborg Charabi, Jann Mortensen, Julie Lyng Forman, Anne Lyngholm Sørensen, David Hebbelstrup Jensen, Andreas Kjaer, Christian von Buchwald

Published in: BMC Cancer | Issue 1/2017

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Abstract

Background

Tumor-specific biomarkers are a prerequisite for the development of targeted imaging and therapy in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). urokinase-type Plasminogen Activator Receptor (uPAR), Tissue Factor (TF) and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) are three biomarkers that exhibit enhanced expression in many types of cancers, and have been investigated as potential biomarkers for targeted strategies and prognostication. The aim of the study was to investigate the expression patterns of uPAR, TF and EGFR and their potential prognostic value in OSCC.

Methods

Immunohistochemical expression of uPAR, TF and EGFR in tumor resection specimens from 191 patients with primary OSCC was analyzed. Overall (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) was calculated. Associations between biomarker expression, clinicopathological factors and patient survival was analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards model for univariate and multivariate analysis, log rank and Kaplan-Meier statistics.

Results

uPAR and TF exhibited a highly tumor-specific expression pattern while EGFR also showed expression in normal tissues outside the tumor compartment. The overall positive expression rate of uPAR, TF and EGFR was 95%, 58% and 98%, respectively. High uPAR expression across the entire cohort was negatively associated with OS (p = 0.031, HR = 1.595 (95%CI 1.044–2.439)) in univariate analysis. The 5-year OS for high and low uPAR expression was 39% and 56%, respectively. The expression of TF and EGFR was not associated with survival outcome.

Conclusions

This study may suggest that uPAR and TF could potentially be attractive targets for molecular imaging and therapy in OSCC due to high positive expression rates and tumor-specific expression patterns. High uPAR expression was significantly associated with a reduced survival. uPAR seems to be a prognostic biomarker in oral cancer.
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Metadata
Title
Urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR), tissue factor (TF) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR): tumor expression patterns and prognostic value in oral cancer
Authors
Anders Christensen
Katalin Kiss
Giedrius Lelkaitis
Karina Juhl
Morten Persson
Birgitte Wittenborg Charabi
Jann Mortensen
Julie Lyng Forman
Anne Lyngholm Sørensen
David Hebbelstrup Jensen
Andreas Kjaer
Christian von Buchwald
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Cancer / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2407
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-017-3563-3

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