[A pilot study on hypoxia of squamous cell carcinoma in oral cavity].

Objective: To examine the extent of hypoxia in oral squamous cell carcinoma and investigate the factors related to the hypoxia.

Methods: An animal model of oral squamous cell carcinoma was established and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with 99mTc-HL91 used to detect the hypoxia extent of the oral squamous cell carcinoma. The expression of hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1alpha) was examined by immunohistochemical staining in 42 cases of formalin-fixed paraffin-embed squamous cell carcinoma.

Results: The uptake of 99mTc-HL91 in the tumor tissue was higher than that in normal tissue and had linear relation with the tumor size (P < 0.05). There was no HIF-1alpha expression in the normal oral mucosa. The expression of HIF-1alpha was high in oral mucosa carcinoma and closely related to the differentiation degree of tumor and metastasis of lymph node (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: Tumor tissue had broad hypoxic region. HIF-1alpha highly expressed in oral squamous cell carcinoma and may play an important role in carcinogenesis and aggression.