Increased expression of the collagen internalization receptor uPARAP/Endo180 in the stroma of head and neck cancer
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Local growth, invasion, and metastasis of malignancies of the head and neck involve extensive degradation and remodeling of the underlying, collagen-rich connective tissue. Urokinase plasminogen activator receptor-associated protein (uPARAP)/Endo180 is an endocytic receptor recently shown to play a critical role in the uptake and intracellular degradation of collagen by mesenchymal cells. As a step toward determining the putative function of uPARAP/Endo180 in head and neck cancer progression, we used immunohistochemistry to determine the expression of this collagen internalization receptor in 112 human squamous cell carcinomas and 19 normal or tumor-adjacent head and neck tissue samples from the tongue, gingiva, cheek, tonsils, palate, floor of mouth, larynx, maxillary sinus, upper jaw, nasopharynx/nasal cavity, and lymph nodes. Specificity of detection was verified by staining of serial sections with two different monoclonal antibodies against two non-overlapping epitopes on uPARAP/Endo180 and by the use of isotype-matched non-immune antibodies. uPARAP/Endo180 expression was observed in stromal fibroblast-like, vimentin-positive cells. Furthermore, expression of the collagen internalization receptor was increased in tumor stroma compared with tumor-adjacent connective tissue or normal submucosal connective tissue and was most prominent in poorly differentiated tumors. These data suggest that uPARAP/Endo180 participates in the connective tissue destruction during head and neck squamous cell carcinoma progression by mediating cellular uptake and lysosomal degradation of collagen.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry |
Volume | 55 |
Issue number | 4 |
Pages (from-to) | 347-53 |
Number of pages | 7 |
ISSN | 0022-1554 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Apr 2007 |
- Blotting, Western, Carcinoma, Squamous Cell, Disease Progression, Head and Neck Neoplasms, Humans, Immunohistochemistry, Receptors, Mitogen, Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Research areas
ID: 180822808