Background: Head and neck cancer, including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), is the sixth most common malignancy. OSCC has strong invasive ability, and its malignant potential is closely associated with local expansion and lymph node metastasis. Furthermore, local or nodal recurrence worsens OSCC prognosis. In our previous cDNA microarray analysis, non-structural maintenance of chromosome (SMC) condensin I complex subunit H (NCAPH) was identified as an upregulated gene in recurrent OSCC. Although NCAPH has several functions in tumors, its role in OSCC is unknown.
Methods: In this study, we examined NCAPH expression in OSCC and performed a functional analysis of human OSCC cells.
Results: NCAPH expression was higher in OSCC than in normal oral mucosa. In immunohistochemistry using 142 OSCC specimens, the immunostaining of NCAPH was strongly associated with nodal metastasis and lymphatic infiltration. In multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model, NCAPH expression was an independent poor prognostic indicator for OSCC. Moreover, NCAPH promoted the migration and adhesion of endothelial cells to OSCC cells and promoted the resistance to platinum anticancer drugs.
Conclusions: Our present findings suggest that NCAPH is a novel diagnostic and therapeutic target in OSCC.
Keywords: NCAPH; anticancer drug resistance; lymphangiogenesis; oral cancer; prognosis.