Orchestrated expression of vasculogenic mimicry and laminin‐5γ2 is an independent prognostic marker in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Vasculogenic mimicry (VM), an endothelial cell–independent alternative mechanism of blood supply to the malignant tumour, has long been considered as an adverse prognostic factor in many cancers. The correlation of VM with laminin‐5γ2 and the assessment of their harmonized expression as an independent risk factor have not been elucidated yet in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). CD31/PAS staining stratified 116 clinically diagnosed OSCC specimens into VM+ and VM− cohorts. The expression pattern of laminin‐5γ2 and its upstream modulator MMP2 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. The Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analyses were performed to assess the survival and prognostic implications. The presence of VM demonstrated a significant correlation with the expression of laminin‐5γ2 (p