Abstract 3061: The clinicopathologic roles of SOX2 and Oct4 expressions in stage 1 and 2 oral squamous cell carcinoma

[Background] Cancer stem cells (CSCs) exhibit self-replication, self-differentiation, drug resistance, and immune evasion activities. Recently, CSC has become increasingly important in the treatment of malignant tumors. Cancer stem cells express specific molecules termed CSC marker, including sex determining region Y-box2 (SOX2), and octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4), and their expression has been reported to be the potential prognostic values. However, the prognostic values of SOX2 and Oct4 expression in patients with stage I and II oral cancer are less understood. [Purpose] The aims of present study were to evaluate the expression of SOX2 and Oct4 in stage I and II oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to elucidate the relationships among the CSC marker expression, clinical stages, histological differentiation, classification of invasion mode, cerebral lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and disease-free survival rate. [Materials and Methods] Tissue specimens were obtains from 83 patients with OSCC after surgery or biopsy. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess SOX2 and Oct4 protein using at least 10% staining-positive cells as the definition of positive staining. [Results] Immunohistochemical analysis of 83 cases showed that 31 cases (37%) expressed SOX2. There was no significant association between SOX2 expression and tumor size, invasion mode or histological differentiation. However, there was significant association between SOX2 expression and distant metastasis or disease-free survival rate at stage 1 and 2 patients. Otherwise, fifty three cases (64%) of 83 OSCC patients expressed Oct4. There was significant association between Oct4 expression and histological differentiation. There was no significant association between Oct4 expression and tumor size, invasion mode, metastasis, or disease-free survival rate. [Conclusions] These findings suggested that the expression of SOX2 may be good marker indicating survival in patients with stage 1 and 2 OSCC. Citation Format: Tetsuya Tamatani, Natsumi Takamaru, Go Ohe, Takayuki Nakagawa, Naito Kurio, Keiko Kudou, Yoshiko Yamamura, Takamitsu Mano, Youji Miyamoto. The clinicopathologic roles of SOX2 and Oct4 expressions in stage 1 and 2 oral squamous cell carcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3061.