Immunohistochemical Study on Superoxide Dismutases in Tongue Cancer

Objective: To analyse the relationship between the expression levels of manganese superoxide dismutase, and copper-zinc superoxide dismutase, and clinicopathological parameters in human tongue cancer.Materials and Methods: Oral biopsy specimens of 42 cases of tongue cancer were stained with antihuman manganese and copper-zinc superoxide dismutases, and the degree of staining in tumour cells was evaluated. Clinicopathological information was reviewed and the degree of tumour invasion was divided into four types.Results: The percentage of enhanced manganese superoxide dismutase expression in patients was significantly higher in patients older than 60 years than that in patients younger than 60 years. The percentage of enhanced manganese superoxide dismutase expression was higher in T4 patients versus T1 patients and in patients with lymph node metastasis versus patients without metastasis. A higher percentage of enhanced copper-zinc superoxide dismutase expression was shown in the 2+3 mode of invasion group compared with the advanced mode of invasion (4c+4d) group, and the percentage of reduced copper-zinc superoxide dismutase expression in patients in the 4c+4d group was significantly higher than that in patients in the less invasive group (2+3). The percentage of enhanced copper-zinc superoxide dismutase expression in patients without lymph node metastasis was slightly higher than that in patients with metastasis.Conclusion: These results demonstrate that expression levels of manganese and copper-zinc superoxide dismutases correlate with clinical stage, mode of invasion, and lymph node metastasis in tongue cancer.