E-cadherin, beta-catenin, and alpha2beta1 and alpha3beta1 integrin expression in primary oral squamous cell carcinoma and its regional metastasis.

To investigate E-cadherin, beta-catenin, and alpha2beta1 and alpha3beta1 integrins in 40 samples of non-metastatic and metastatic oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) with positive cervical lymph nodes (LN). Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate expression in the lesion center (LC) and invasive tumor front (ITF) of non-metastatic (n=18) and metastatic (n=22) OSCC and in the LN on the metastatic neoplastic cells (MNC; n=22). In metastatic OSCC, E-cadherin and beta-catenin presented significantly lower cytoplasmic membrane expression in the ITF and MNC when compared to the LC and lower cytoplasmic expression in MNC when compared to the LC and ITF (p<0.05). Integrins alpha2beta1 and alpha3beta1 showed high cytoplasmic expression in the LC, ITF and MNC (p>0.05). A positive correlation was observed between E-cadherin cytoplasmic expression and alpha2beta1 (p=0.860) and alpha3beta1 (p=0.975) expression. When comparing the primary sites of metastatic and non-metastatic disease, beta-catenin presented lower cytoplasmic membrane (p=0.013) expression in metastatic OSCC. E-cadherin presented low expression and the integrins high expression in both groups. Abnormal expression of beta-catenin and E-cadherin associated with high expression of alpha2beta1 and alpha3beta1 integrins contribute to LN metastasis in OSCC.