Clinicopathological significance of ZEB-1 and E-cadherin proteins in patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma

Figures & data

Table 1 Clinicopathological characteristics of 120 OSCC patients

Variables	Number of patients (%)
Gender
Male	75 (62.5)
Female	45 (37.5)
Age (years)
≤60	54 (55.0)
>60	66 (45.0)
Smoker
No	49 (40.8)
Yes	71 (59.2)
Alcohol
No	67 (55.8)
Yes	53 (44.2)
Tumor site
Tongue	52 (43.3)
Oral floor	26 (21.7)
Gingiva	20 (16.7)
Cheek	15 (12.5)
Hard palate	7 (5.8)
T stage
T1 + T2	73 (60.8)
T3 + T4	47 (39.2)
Differentiation
Well	39 (32.5)
Moderate/poor	81 (67.5)
Lymph node metastasis
No	62 (51.7)
Yes	58 (48.3)
Recurrence
No	65 (54.2)
Yes	55 (45.8)

Abbreviation: OSCC, oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma.

Figure 1 Representative images showing immunohistochemical staining for ZEB-1 and E-cadherin proteins in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (magnification ×200).

Notes: Negative ZEB-1 expression (A) and positive E-cadherin expression (B) in normal tissue, negative ZEB-1 expression (C) and positive E-cadherin expression (D) in well differentiated tumor, positive ZEB-1 expression (E, G) and negative E-cadherin expression (F, H) in poorly differentiated tumor and the ITF. The scale bar represents 50 μm.
Abbreviations: ZEB-1, zinc-finger E-box binding homeobox 1; ITF, invasive tumor front.

Figure 2 The relative expression levels of ZEB-1 and E-cadherin mRNA.

Notes: (A) ZEB-1 mRNA in OSCC was significantly higher than that in adjacent noncancerous tissues; (B) E-cadherin mRNA expression was lower in OSCC than in adjacent noncancerous tissues. *P<0.05.
Abbreviations: ZEB-1, zinc-finger E-box binding homeobox 1; E-cad, E-cadherin; OSCC, oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma.

Table 2 Clinicopathologic correlation of ZEB-1 and E-cadherin expression in OSCC

Variables	Total no	ZEB-1 expression		P-value	E-cadherin expression		P-value
		Positive	Negative		Positive	Loss
Gender				0.380			0.200
Male	75	34	41		37	38
Female	45	30	15		16	29
Age (years)				0.398			0.618
≤60	54	26	28		22	32
>60	66	38	28		31	35
Smoker				0.554			0.521
No	49	26	23		22	27
Yes	71	38	33		31	40
Alcohol				0.199			0.271
No	67	39	27		26	40
Yes	53	25	29		27	27
Tumor site				0.715			0.806
Tongue	52	28	24		26	26
Oral floor	26	16	10		11	15
Gingiva	20	11	9		8	12
Cheek	15	6	9		5	10
Hard palate	7	3	4		3	4
T stage				0.362			0.538
T1 + T2	73	36	37		32	41
T3 + T4	47	28	19		21	26
Differentiation				0.000			0.004
Well	39	10	29		25	14
Moderate/poor	81	54	27		28	53
Lymph node metastasis				0.000			0.003
No	62	20	42		36	26
Yes	58	44	14		17	41
Recurrence				0.008			0.531
No	65	27	38		29	36
Yes	55	37	18		24	31

Abbreviations: ZEB-1, zinc-finger E-box binding homeobox 1; OSCC, oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma.

Table 3 Univariate and multivariate analysis of factors affecting overall survival

Variables	Univariate			Multivariate
	HR	95% CI	P-value	HR	95% CI	P-value
Differentiation	0.334	0.147–0.640	0.001	0.606	0.289–1.271	0.185
Lymph node metastasis	0.429	0.252–0.717	0.001	0.655	0.337–1.271	0.211
ZEB-1 expression	0.278	0.164–0.501	0.000	0.502	0.255–0.988	0.046
E-cadherin loss	2.025	1.171–3.499	0.012	1.256	0.672–2.348	0.475
Recurrence	0.481	0.291–0.796	0.004	0.482	0.275–0.847	0.011

Abbreviations: ZEB-1, zinc-finger E-box binding homeobox 1; CI, confidence interval; HR, hazard ratio.

Figure 3 Kaplan–Meier survival curve for overall survival according to each immunohistochemical staining group and different clinical factors.

Notes: (A and B) shows the overall survival curves after surgery according to ZEB-1 and E-cadherin expression; (C) displays the 5-year overall survival rates were significantly poorer in the ZEB-1 positive and loss of E-cadherin expression group than in other expression groups; (D–F) shows that patients with moderate/poor differentiation, lymph node metastasis and recurrence have worse prognosis.
Abbreviation: ZEB-1, zinc-finger E-box binding homeobox 1.

Figure S1 Representative images showing immunohistochemical staining for ZEB-1 and E-cadherin protein in the ITF of oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (magnification ×200).

Abbreviation: ITF, invasive tumor front.