Assessment of Protein Immunoexpression Associated with Tumor Proliferation and Invasion in Histological Subtypes of Unicystic and Conventional Ameloblastoma

TL;DR

This study examines protein expression in different types of ameloblastoma tumors to understand their invasive potential.

Contribution

The study identifies higher invadopodia-related protein expression in mural unicystic ameloblastomas compared to other subtypes.

Findings

Mural unicystic ameloblastomas showed higher MT1-MMP, cortactin, Tks-4, and Tks-5 expression than luminal and intra-luminal types.

Conventional ameloblastomas exhibited lower MT1-MMP, cortactin, and Tks-5 expression compared to mural unicystic ameloblastomas.

Neoplastic cells in the cystic capsule of mural unicystic ameloblastomas showed higher protein expression, suggesting proximity to bone influences aggressiveness.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to verify whether the expression of proteins related to the formation of invadopodia, MT1-MMP, cortactin, Tks-4 and Tks-5 is associated with the degree of tumor invasiveness of different types of unicystic ameloblastomas. An immunohistochemical study was performed on 29 unicystic ameloblastoma (UA) samples, 9 conventional ameloblastoma (CAM) samples and 9 dental follicle (DF) samples. The potential for tumor invasiveness was assessed based on the immunoexpression of the following invadopodia-forming proteins: MT1-MMP, cortactin, Tks-4 and Tks5. Mural unicystic ameloblastoma (MUA) showed higher MT1-MMP, cortactin, Tks-4, and Tks-5 immunoexpression than luminal and intra-luminal types. Conventional ameloblastoma exhibited lower MT1-MMP, cortactin, and Tks-5 expression compared to MUA. MUA’s cystic capsule neoplastic cells had significantly higher MT1-MMP, cortactin, Tks-4, and Tks-5 expression than lumen cells. Dental follicles showed minimal expression. Neoplastic cells in the cystic capsule of mural unicystic ameloblastomas showed higher invadopodia-related protein expression than lumen and luminal/intraluminal cells, suggesting that proximity to the bone region influences the aggressive behavior of mural unicystic ameloblastomas more compared to other subtypes.

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