MASPIN, a member of
serpin superfamily, has multifaceted
biological functions and an unique tumour suppressing activity. Experimental evidences showed that
MASPIN suppresses tumour growth, angiogenesis, invasion and
metastasis. Only a very limited number of studies considered
MASPIN expression in the upper aero-digestive tract
carcinomas. It was recently found that nuclear localization of
MASPIN was significantly associated with lower recurrence rate and longer disease-free interval in laryngeal
carcinoma. The present study investigated the
biological and prognostic role of
MASPIN in relation to its subcellular localization in oral
carcinoma. Sub-cellular pattern of distribution of
MASPIN, nuclear and cytoplasmic
MASPIN expressions were immunohistochemically determined in 56 consecutive cases of oral
carcinoma. Statistical analysis found a significant association between pN-stage and recurrence of disease (P=0.032) and a significantly longer disease-free interval in pN0 patients than in pN+ ones (P=0.038). None of the subcellular expressions of
MASPIN was significantly correlated with recurrence of disease and disease-free interval in our series of oral
carcinomas. Sixty-one percent of pN0 cases was strongly
MASPIN-positive in the cytoplasm of primary
carcinoma cells, 33% of the pN+ cases was
MASPIN-positive in the cytoplasm. Statistical analysis found a significant association between
MASPIN cytoplasmic expression and pN-stage (P=0.032). Negative
MASPIN immunoreactivity in
carcinoma cells cytoplasm may be useful to identify patients at risk of disease disseminating to neck lymph nodes. Further investigations are necessary to understand the
biological role of cytoplasmic
MASPIN localization in oral
carcinoma.