Clinicopathological significance and prognostic value of CD133 expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma

ObjectiveThis study investigated the expression of CD44 and CD133, the two surface markers most commonly used to identify cancer stem cells (CSCs), as predictive markers for clinicopathological progression and lymph node metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).MethodsOSCC primary tumor specimens obtained from 29 patients with OSCC who underwent resection as well as the normal oral mucosa samples of 14 healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. We studied expression of CD133 and CD44 using real-time RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis in primary OSCC, and investigated the correlation of clinicopathological factors.ResultsAlthough CD133 protein expression was not obviously detected, CD133 mRNA expression in primary OSCC tissues significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis, depth of invasion, extranodal invasion, and clinical stage.ConclusionsCD133 mRNA over-expression in OSCC primary tumors could be a novel independent prognostic marker that correlates with tumor progression and lymph node metastasis.