Expressions of CXCR7/ligands may be involved in oral carcinogenesis

Abstract

Oral carcinogenesis is a multistep process and requires accumulation and interplay of a series of molecular events. Chemokines and their receptors have been suggested to play important roles in the initiation or progression of cancers. Until now, no report focuses on their alterations in premalignant stage of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Compared with normal tissues, mRNA levels of 9 chemokines and 3 chemokine receptors including CXCR7 in oral leukoplakia (OLK) were increased more than two folds by microarray analysis. Then, CXCR7 was selected for further confirmation and immunohistochemistry examination during multistage oral carcinogenesis. CXCR7 was expressed in 85% of OLK and 86% of OSCC. However, only 8% (1 of 13 cases) of normal tissue displayed CXCR7 immunostaining. The positive ratios of CXCR7, CXCL12 and CXCL11 in OLK and OSCC tissues respectively, were significantly higher than that in normal epithelia (P < 0.05), although no significant difference was found between OLK and OSCC. Meanwhile, CXCR7 always concomitantly expressed with it ligands in OLK and OSCC tissues. Our results indicated that CXCR7-CXCL12/CXCL11 axis might play important roles in oral carcinogenesis.

Llama-derived Single Variable Domains (Nanobodies) Directed against Chemokine Receptor CXCR7 Reduce Head and Neck Cancer Cell Growth in Vivo

“…Moreover, we show that colon and gastric tumor tissue express relatively low levels of CXCR7 compared with the other tumor tissues analyzed. Importantly, we show a high incidence of CXCR7 protein expression in head and neck tumor biopsies, in line with previous studies where CXCR7 expression was detected in oral carcinoma patient material (45). Several human head and neck squamous cell carcinomas cells analyzed in our studies showed high expression of CXCR7, as detected by radioligand binding and anti-CXCR7 antibody staining (Fig.…”

Dickkopf (Dkk)-3 and β-catenin expressions increased in the transition from normal oral mucosal to oral squamous cell carcinoma

“…However, little is known about the genes involved and its relation to the invasive capacity and metastatic ability (Ha et al 2009;Schoop et al 2009;Xia et al 2011). Our group has been working on a genome-wide analysis and reported members of the ING family (Borkosky et al 2009;Cengiz et al 2010;Gunduz et al 2000Gunduz et al , 2002Gunduz et al , 2005 and Dickkopf (Dkk) family (Katase et al 2008(Katase et al , 2010 as candidate TSGs in head and neck SCC.…”

C-X-C motif receptor 7 in gastrointestinal cancer

“…CXCR7 was also expressed in 85% of oral leukoplakia and 86% of oral squamous cell carcinoma, whereas only 8% of normal tissues displayed CXCR7 immunostaining at the protein level. In addition, CXCR7 was concomitantly expressed with its ligands SDF-1α and I-TAC in all oral leukoplakia and oral squamous cell carcinoma tissues, suggesting that the CXCR7-SDF-1α/I-TAC axis is important in oral carcinogenesis (32). Recently, Maussang et al (33) demonstrated a high CXCR7 expression in head-and-neck cancer biopsies, highlighting a potential novel tumorigenic role of CXCR7 in these types of cancer.…”

“…The biological properties of squamous cell carcinoma are intimately regulated by various cytokines and growth factors. Recent studies in the field of chemokine systems as mediators of tumor development and progression have demonstrated that chemokine receptors play an important role in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (31,32). Xia et al (32) reported that the expression of CXCR7 mRNA in oral leukoplakia, which is a premalignant lesion of oral squamous cell carcinoma, was increased by >2-fold compared with normal tissues as observed by microarray analysis.…”

“…Recent studies in the field of chemokine systems as mediators of tumor development and progression have demonstrated that chemokine receptors play an important role in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (31,32). Xia et al (32) reported that the expression of CXCR7 mRNA in oral leukoplakia, which is a premalignant lesion of oral squamous cell carcinoma, was increased by >2-fold compared with normal tissues as observed by microarray analysis. CXCR7 was also expressed in 85% of oral leukoplakia and 86% of oral squamous cell carcinoma, whereas only 8% of normal tissues displayed CXCR7 immunostaining at the protein level.…”