Increased expression of cytokeratins 8, 18 and vimentin in the invasion front of mucosal squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

The immunohistochemical expression patterns of cytokeratins 8 and 18 and vimentin were examined in frozen sections of 120 human mucosal squamous cell carcinomas with special emphasis on the topological distribution in the tumour. This was done in order to evaluate in squamous cell carcinoma a particular expression pattern observed recently by us in transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary tract and designated as an 'interface phenomenon'. This phenomenon implying maximum expression of cytokeratins 8 and 18 at the tumour front, and to a lesser extent also in areas of intratumorous stroma contact, was also found in about 50 per cent of the squamous cell carcinomas examined. It was even found for vimentin, which contrasted with transitional cell carcinoma. The percentages of occurrence of the phenomenon varied for the different sites of origin of the tumour. Tumour grade did not influence the results. These findings further support the idea that invasive carcinoma cells interacting with the stromal micro-environment display a characteristic intermediate filament phenotype that deviates from the pattern expected on the basis of their direction of differentiation. These changes might reflect phenotype involved in invasive, migrating, and proliferating activities.

Exocrine pancreatic disorders in transsgenic mice expressing human keratin 8

“…It has also been reported that K8/K18 are induced by v-ras in transformed epidermal keratinocytes (52,53) and that there is a positive correlation between the expression of these keratins and epidermal cell malignancy both in vitro (54) and in vivo (12,13). In transitional cell carcinoma, increased K8 and K18 levels have been detected at the tumor invasion front, and there is a relationship between the expression of these keratins and tumor malignancy (14,15). It is thus possible that, under certain circumstances, K8/K18 may provide a permissive cellular environment for induction of malignancy.…”

Ectopic Expression of PA2.26 Antigen in Epidermal Keratinocytes Leads to Destabilization of Adherens Junctions and Malignant Progression

“…These changes were associated with the development of poorly differentiated carcinomas and the acquisition of metastatic abilities (Caulín et al, 1995;Frontelo et al, 1998). These and other studies have shown that the expression of K8 and vimentin, linked to downregulation of basal keratins, is associated with malignant progression of squamous cell carcinomas (Caulín et al, 1993a(Caulín et al, , 1993bLarcher et al, 1992;Markey et al, 1991), and several reports have related coexpression of simple epithelial keratins and vimentin to increased cell migration/invasion (Chu et al, 1996;Hendrix et al, 1997;Schaafsma et al, 1993). Thus, PA2.26-induced reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton could lead to up-regulation of keratin K8 and vimentin and repression of basal keratin K14 expression.…”

Loss of keratins 8 and 18 leads to alterations in α6β4-integrin-mediated signalling and decreased neoplastic progression in an oral-tumour-derived cell line

“…expressed in majority of the carcinomas (Moll et al, 2008), including OSCC (Vaidya et al, 1996), and their expression has been correlated with aggressiveness of the tumour and poor prognosis (Fillies et al, 2007). Aberrant expression of this keratin pair at the invasive front of OSCC has also been correlated with invasion of these tumours (Schaafsma et al, 1993). Previously, we have demonstrated that K8 overexpression, and its filament formation with K18, induces neoplastic transformation of the stratified epithelial cell line derived from human foetal buccal mucosa (Raul et al, 2004).…”

“…cell carcinoma (SCC), where their expression is correlated with invasion and poor prognosis (Fillies et al, 2006;Moll et al, 2008;Schaafsma et al, 1993;Vaidya et al, 1996). Our previous data has shown that K8 overexpression leads to neoplastic transformation and increased invasive and metastatic potential in the FBM cell line derived from the buccal mucosa of normal human foetus (Raul et al, 2004).…”