The expression of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits and their associations with local immune cells and prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are ligand-gated ion channels that may be responsible for cancer cell proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and immune regulation. However, little is known about the associations of different nAChR subunits with tumor microenvironment in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed pathology samples from 75 OSCC patients by immunohistochemistry. In addition, a cohort of 307 OSCC patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas was analyzed.

Results

Subunit α1 was specific to peri-OSCC skeletal muscle. Increased α1 was associated with increased CD44 (cancer stem cells), increased CD3 and 8 (T cells), increased CD56 and 16 (natural killer cells), a decreased T stage, and an increased

SUBMITTER: Lin CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10557882 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature