270 Decreased cell surface and increased nuclear expression of CD44v6 are associated with high grade skin squamous cell carcinoma

CD44, a cell surface proteoglycan, is involved in multiple biological events. CD44 transcripts undergo tissue-dependent alternative splicing, resulting dozens of functionally distinct isoforms. However, the nature these isoforms human skin has not been adequately determined. Recently, we isolated and designated all 18 unique by cloning strategy. In our previous study, found that expression transcripts, particularly CD44v3-10, CD44v4-10, CD44v6-10, CD44v8-10 CD44s were differentially regulated chemical agents affect pathophysiology cultured normal malignant keratinocytes produced different upon serum stimulation starvation, suggesting particular proteins may be associated with proliferation, redox, differentiation tumorigenesis activities via pathways. To shed light on involvement variants tumorigenesis, investigated CD44v6-containing panel 76 squamous carcinoma (SCC) tissues immunohistochemical staining. We CD44v6 was lower SCC as compared general. also significantly reduced (p=0.0012) than skin. Moreover, cases tend to show higher nuclear (p=0.0106). Our further analysis revealed grade showed (p<0.0281) tendency increased expression. Cell staining tended decrease increase, respectively, tumor stages but significance limited. study deregulated mislocalization are hallmarks rather stage SCC.