Research

Upregulation of CENP-H in tongue cancer correlates with poor prognosis and progression

Wen-Ting Liao^1,2,3 , Chun-Ping Yu² , Dong-Hui Wu¹ , Ling Zhang² , Li-Hua Xu² , Gui-Xiang Weng² , Mu-Sheng Zeng² , Li-Bing Song² and Jin-Song Li¹

¹  Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, PR China

²  State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Department of Experimental Research, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, PR China

³  Key Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Pathology of Guangdong Province, Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China

author email corresponding author email

Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research 2009, 28:74doi:10.1186/1756-9966-28-74

Published:	5 June 2009

Abstract

Background

Centromere protein H (CENP-H) is one of the fundamental components of the human active kinetochore. Recently, CENP-H was identified to be associated with tumorigenesis. This study was aimed to investigate the clinicopathologic significance of CENP-H in tongue cancer.

Methods

RT-PCR, real time RT-PCR and Western blot were used to examine the expression of CENP-H in tongue cancer cell lines and biopsies. CENP-H protein level in paraffin-embedded tongue cancer tissues were tested by immunohistochemical staining and undergone statistical analysis. CENP-H-knockdown stable cell line was established by infecting cells with a retroviral vector pSuper-retro-CENP-H-siRNA. The biological function of CENP-H was tested by MTT assay, colony formation assay, and Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation assay.

Results

CENP-H expression was higher in tongue cancer cell lines and cancer tissues (T) than that in normal cell and adjacent noncancerous tongue tissues (N), respectively. It was overexpressed in 55.95% (94/168) of the paraffin-embedded tongue cancer tissues, and there was a strong correlation between CENP-H expression and clinical stage, as well as T classification. CENP-H can predict the prognosis of tongue cancer patients especially those in early stage. Depletion of CENP-H can inhibit the proliferation of tongue cancer cells (Tca8113) and downregulate the expression of Survivin.

Conclusion

These findings suggested that CENP-H involves in the development and progression of tongue cancer. CENP-H might be a valuable prognostic indicator for tongue cancer patients within early stage.