EXPRESSION OF E1AF, AN ETS-FAMILY TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR, IS CORRELATEDWITH THE INVASIVE PHENOTYPE OF ORAL SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA

E1AF is a newly identified ets-oncogene family transcription factor. P revious reports have noted that E1AF can upregulate promoter activitie s of several matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) genes and showed that inva sive potentials of oral squamous cell carcinoma-derived cell lines are correlated with expression of E1AF and MMPs. The invasive phenotype i s restrained by transfection with an antisense E1AF expression vector. Thus, E1AF is thought to be highly correlated with malignant potentia ls of cancer cells. However, little is known about E1AF expression and cancer cell malignancies in in vivo tumours. In the present study, 27 oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) specimens were examined using RT-P CR, Southern blot hybridisation and in situ hybridisation (ISH) and co mpared to the clinicopathological parameters. Among the 27 patients, E 1AF was detected in 15 cases. E1AF mRNA was detected in 13 of 17 invas ive SCCs, whereas the majority of SCCs not expressing E1AF showed an e xpansive growth pattern. Increased prevalence of E1AF-positive oral SC C was observed in cases with nodal metastasis. These results indicate that E1AF may be involved in cancer cell malignancies through its abil ity to promote invasive potential. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.