Centrosomal Protein 55 (Cep55)-A New Prognostic Paradigm for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most deadly diseases in the head and neck region, accounting for one-third of all head and neck cancer deaths. Mortality and morbidity continue to be high despite advances in therapeutic approaches. Advancement of OSCC is characterized by changes in a number of genes and the expression of their associated proteins. A number of studies have indicated that centrosomal protein 55 (Cep55) has characteristics similar to those of oncogenes, and that Cep55 overexpression is related with the progression of malignant tumours. The purpose of this study was to determine whether Cep55 expression is associated with clinicopathologic characteristics and patient survival in OSCC. A total of 75 OSCC patients and 40 healthy matched controls were recruited for the study. Out of 75 OSCC cases, 62 were in early stage of cancer and 13 were in advanced stage of cancer. The OSCC cases were first categorized histopathologically. Immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis were used to determine the Cep55 expression profile in tumour samples and compared with that in healthy oral mucosa. The study revealed a clear association of Cep55 expression with clinical stage and grade of OSCC patients and their overall survival. The present findings indicated that Cep55 may have a key role in influencing the biological behaviour and survival of OSCC patients regardless of tumour staging or pathological grading. Thus, assessing Cep55 expression could help surgeons determine an effective treatment.