Overexpression of ALDH1 and EMT marker profile are linked with unfavorable outcome in head and neck cancer

Background The aim of this research was to assess the expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and to correlate them with the clinical and histopathological parameters of a patient cohort with follow-up over an 8-year period. Material and Methods For this, seventeen HNSCC and non-neoplastic adjacent epithelium (AE) samples were subjected to laser microdissection and real-time PCR to evaluate the mRNA expression of ALDH1, E-cadherin (E-CAD), N-cadherin (N-CAD), and vimentin (VIM). Also, immunohistochemistry was performed for ALDH1, E-CAD, N-CAD, and VIM in the tumor center (TC), invasi…