Overexpression of metastasis-associated MTA1 in oral squamous cell carcinomas: correlation with metastasis and invasion

Metastasis-associated protein 1 (MTA 1) is physiologically expressed at low levels in human tissues. Its expression is associated with progression of solid and is common in cancer cell lines. This study investigated whether VITA 1 was expressed ill squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and would be a useful metastatic marker. Specimens from 38 patients with oral SCC were stained using the avidinbiotin-peroxidase technique With polyclonal antibodies against NITA 1. Human SCC cell lines SAS, HSC2, OSC19 and OSC20 were analysed for MTA1 mRNA expression. MTA1 expression ill control tissues Was significantly lower than in carcinomas. MTA1 protein expression was detected in 33 of 38 SCC tissues from patients. HIstologically, MTA 1 protein production was strongly associated with cancer cell invasion, and clinically there was a correlation between lymph node metastasis and MTA 1 production. Among the cancer cell lines, HSC2 showed the lowest mRNA expression, and OSC20 showed the highest MTA 1 mRNA expression. In the Matrigel invasion assay, the HSC2 cell line showed the lowest invasion and the OSC20 cell line showed the highest invasion. RNAi-mediated MTA1 silencing ill the OSC20 cells decreased the invasion index. MTA1 expression in oral SCC may be associated with increased invasive ability, which may cause lymph node metastasis.