Journal of dental sciences
Keratin 18 as a cytoskeletal regulator of epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity and prognostic risk in oral squamous cell carcinoma
By Kao TY, Lin HC, Lai CW and 4 others.
Abstract
Background/purpose
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) shows poor survival, and conventional staging does not fully capture biologic aggressiveness. Keratin 18 (KRT18) has been linked to malignant progression in epithelial cancers, but its prognostic and biologic significance in OSCC remains unclear. This study investigated whether KRT18 expression is associated with aggressive invasion patterns and adverse outcomes in OSCC, and whether KRT18 contributes to epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity-related malignant phenotypes.
Materials and methods
Eighty-eight non-irradiated OSCC specimens obtained after primary surgical resection at National Taiwan University Hospital were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Associations between KRT18 expression and clinicopathological variables were assessed, and survival was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses. In SAS OSCC cells, KRT18 knockdown, rescue, and overexpression models were established for proliferation, migration, invasion, RNA sequencing, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-marker analyses.