[Expression of metastasis suppressor gene nm23-H1 in oral squamous cell carcinoma and its relation to tumor prognosis].

Objective: To study the relation between the expression level of nm23-H1 protein and prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Methods: The expression of nm23-H1 protein in 75 cases of OSCC, 27 cases of oral mucosa, 9 cases of cervical lymph-node metastases by immunohistochemical technique (SABC), and the relation between nm23-H1 protein expression level and prognosis of OSCC was evaluated by chi-test and single-factor, multi-factor Cox proportional hazards regression model analysis.

Results: These immunoreactivities of nm23-H1 protein were mostly in the cytoplasm of tumor and epithelial cells. There was a significant difference of nm23-H1 protein expression level between three-year survival and seven-year survival group (P < 0.05), and there was a relation between nm23-H1 protein expression level and prognosis of OSCC in single-factor Cox analysis. But no relation was found between nm23-H1 protein expression level and prognosis in multi-factor Cox analysis.

Conclusion: nm23-H1 protein expression level was probably not a valuable predictor of OSCC patients' prognosis. It may indirectly affect OSCC prognosis through its effect on OSCC metastasis.