"Nuclear Metallothionein expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma: associations with clinicopathological parameters and patient survival"
Methallothionein; oral cancer; survival; immunohistochemistry
The aim of this study was to evaluate, through immunohistochemical reaction in samples of oral squamous cell carcinoma, the correlation between the expression status of protein methallothionein and patient survival as well as histological grade and some clinicopathological features. A total of 51 paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens of tongue squamous cell carcinoma were selected to evaluate the immunohistochemical expression of metallothionein protein and to correlate with overall survival. The association of immunostaining with clinicopathological features was analysed in 93 patients. The immunohistochemical expression of methallothionein was analysed, as were clinicopathological features including the use of tobacco, tumour stage, size and infiltration of metastatic lymph nodes. The associations were examined for statistical significance using a chi-square test. Overall survival rates were estimated by the Kaplan–Meier method and compared using a log rank test (P > 0.05). The results indicated no statistically significant association with methallothionein immunostaining and the clinicopathological variables selected. In conclusion, considering these results, the present study suggests that the protein methallothionein does not exert a crucial role in the aggressiveness of this tumor at the cases evaluated.