Relationship between the expression of Tiam-1 mRNA and protein and the invasion and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Purpose To investigate the relationship and significance of expression of Tiam-1 mRNA and Tiam-1 protein in the invasion and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods Expression of Tiam-1mRNA and protein in 41 cases of NPC tissue and 20 cases of chronic nasopharyngitis (CN) tissue as the control group were evaluated by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Results The expression level of Tiam-1 mRNA was significantly higher in NPC (1.83±0.73) than that in CN (0.87±0.45, P0.01). The overexpression rates of both Tiam-1 mRNA and protein in NPC tissues were higher than that in CN tissues (P0.01) and positively correlated with TNM stages (P0.01) and T stages (P0.01). In group without lymph node metastasis and group with lymph node metastasis of NPC, the frequency of Tiam-1 mRNA and protein overexpression rates were 21.43% (3/14) and 59.26% (16/27); 14.28% (2/14) and 55.56% (15/27), with significant difference (P0.05). Conclusions The overexpression of both Tiam-1 mRNA and protein relates closely to the invasion and metastasis of NPC. Tiam-1 gene may play an important role in accelerating invasion and metastasis of NPC, which may become a target of treatment and a prognostic biomarker in NPC.