Background: Apoptosis is a genetically programmed form of cell death, of which caspases are the central components.
Methods: By tissue microarray of 229 cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), we analyzed the immunoexpression of caspases 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.
Results: All proteins that we examined were expressed in primary OSCC samples. Caspases 8 and 9 were prominently expressed, and caspases 3, 6, 7, and 10 were occasionally expressed. Disease-free survival differed significantly between caspase 7 high-expressing and low-expressing patients, and our multivariate analysis suggested that expression of caspase 7 is an independent prognostic factor for patients with OSCC.
Conclusion: This study suggests that caspases regulate the tumorigenesis of OSCC and that caspase 7 expression is a predictor of locoregional recurrence of OSCC.
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