Evaluation of expression of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) as prognostic marker in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

Protein MIF (Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor) is frequently found with high expression in tumor tissues when compared to equivalent normal tissues and has been related between prognostic factors of the various malignancies, including hepatocellular, ovarian, esophageal and also head and neck carcinoma. Additionally, some of its mechanisms of action that have already demonstrated, such as induction of angiogenesis and cell proliferation, allow implying differential expression in tumor progression. This study aims to evaluate the expression of MIF protein as a prognostic marker in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, checking for differential expression in tumor tissue and margins, serum and saliva of patients with this neoplasia, before and after the treatment, and correlating to the clinical and histopathological aspects and survival.The study will consist of 100 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma admitted in the Departments of Head and Neck Surgery of the Hospital Heliópolis and Faculdade de Medicina da Fundação ABC. Analyses will be made by immunohistochemistry of tumor tissues and margins, and ELISA of serum and saliva of the selected patients. (AU)