Purpose: To investigate the expression of nuclear factor κappa-B (NF-κB) and transforming growth factor β receptor II (TGF-βRII) and their clinical pathological significance in oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC).
Methods: The expression of NF-κB and TGF-βRII in 60 OSCC samples, 20 adjacent tissues, 29 metastatic lymph nodes and 10 non-metastatic lymph nodes were detected by immunohistological method. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 20.0 software package.
Results: The expression of NF-κB in OSCC and metastatic lymph nodes was significantly higher than that in the adjacent tissues and non-metastatic lymph nodes, respectively (P<0.05). However, the expression of TGF-βRII in OSCC and metastatic lymph nodes was significantly lower than that in the adjacent tissues and non-metastatic lymph nodes, respectively (P<0.05). NF-κB was negatively correlated with TGF-βRII. The expression of NF-κB in patients with lower differentiation, lymphatic metastasis and higher grade were significantly higher than in patients with higher differentiation, lower grade and without lymphatic metastasis (P<0.05), respectively. NF-κB was a predicator of OSCC.
Conclusions: NF-κB is negatively correlated with TGF-βRII.NF-κB and TGF-βRII are associated with the progression of OSCC. NF-κB may promote angiogenesis through down-regulating the expression of TGF-βRII, which promotes progression of OSCC.