Can MMP-9 be a Prognosticator Marker for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma?

The Response of the Tongue Epithelial on Cigarette Smoke Exposure as a Risk Factor for Oral Cancer Development

OBJECTIVE

 The aim of this study is to analyze the tongue epithelial response to cigarette smoke exposure on a number of macrophages, lymphocytes, plasma cells, and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) expression to determine the risk factor of oral cancer development.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

 Thirty Rattus norvegicus will be exposed to two kinds of cigarette smoke by a smoking pump for 4 and 8 weeks. The tongues were collected to analyze the number of macrophages, lymphocytes, and plasma cells with hematoxylin-eosin. The MMP-9 expression was similarly analyzed with immunohistochemical staining and then compared with the control group.

RESULTS

 The number of macrophages, lymphocytes, and MMP-9 expression was higher in the 8-week cigarette smoke exposure compared to the 4-week cigarette smoke exposure and the control group (p < 0.000). The number of plasma cell did not differ in the 8-week cigarette smoke exposure from that of the control group (p > 0.05). The number of plasma cells in the tongue tissue during the 4-week cigarette smoke exposure was not determined.

CONCLUSION

 Cigarette smoke exposure induces the risk of oral cancer development as a result of an increase in the number of macrophages, lymphocytes, and MMP-9 expression in the tongue epithelial.

EXPRESSION OF MATRIX METALLOPROTEINASE-9 IN ORAL SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA AND ORAL PSEUDOEPITHELIOMATOUS HYPERPLASIA

Background: Oral pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia (PEH) appears histologically similar to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in small oral biopsies, thus posing diagnostic dilemma. The objective of this study was to compare the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in differential diagnosis of OSSC and oral PEH. Materials & Methods: This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Histopathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), Rawalpindi, Pakistan from January 2013 to March 2016. It included sixty archival cases, 30 each of OSCC and PEH. Paraffin embedded blocks were prepared, hematoxylin and eosin stained sections taken and immunostained with MMP-9. The expression of MMP-9 was evaluated in OSCC and PEH. Results: The OSCC group included 16 (53.33%) men and 14 (46.67%) women, whereas PEH group included 18 (60%) men and 12 (40%) women. The mean age of OSCC group was 60.1±17.3 and that of PEH group was 52.7±16.6. In OSCC group, site of lesion was buccal mucosa in 12 (40%), gingiva 10 (33.33%), tongue 7 (23.33%) and floor of mouth 1 (3.34%) case. In PEH group, site of lesion was buccal mucosa in 12 (40%), tongue 11 (36.66%), gingiva 6 (20%) and palate 1 (3.34%) case. The expression of MMP-9 was positive in all the 30 cases of OSCC and negative in all 30 cases of PEH. Conclusion: Compared to pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia (PEH), MMP-9 revealed a higher expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). This finding has become mainstream strategy in distinguishing OSCC from PEH in oral mucosal biopsies in cases difficult to diagnose.

Antitumoral and antimetastatic activity of Maitake D-Fraction in triple-negative breast cancer cells

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is associated with poor prognosis, high local recurrence rate and high rate of metastasis compared with other breast cancer subtypes. In addition, TNBC lacks a targeted therapy. This scenario highlights the need for novel compounds with high potential for TNBC treatment. In this regard, natural products are important sources of anticancer drugs. D-Fraction, a proteoglucan extracted from the edible and medicinal mushroom Grifola frondosa (Maitake), is a dietary supplement that has been shown to exert both immunostimulatory and immune-independent antitumoral effects on some cancer types. However, its antitumoral potential in TNBC is unknown. Therefore, we employed TNBC cells to investigate if D-Fraction is able to attenuate their aggressive phenotype. We found that D-Fraction decreases MDA-MB-231 cell viability through apoptosis induction and reduces their metastatic potential. D-Fraction increases cell-cell adhesion by increasing E-cadherin protein levels and β-catenin membrane localization, and increases cell-substrate adhesion. D-Fraction also decreases cell motility by affecting actin cytoskeleton rearrangements, and proteolytic activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Furthermore, D-Fraction decreases the invasive capacity of MDA-MB-231 cells. In concordance, D-Fraction retards tumor growth and reduces lung metastases in a xenograft model. Altogether, these results suggest the potential therapeutic role of D-Fraction in aggressive TNBC.