Abstract
RAGE is a membrane binding multi-ligand receptor which belongs to the immunoglobulin superfamily. Major ligands of RAGE are amphoterin, AGE, and S100 proteins. RAGE is known to be closely associated with invasive and metastatic ability of cancer, and we previously reported a significant correlation between expression of RAGE and progression or metastasis in gastric, colon, and prostate adenocarcinoma. In the present study, the relationship between RAGE expression and clinicopathological parameters was examined in 74 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. Expression of RAGE was strongly associated with tumor progression and recurrence, and RAGE-positive patients showed significantly shorter disease-free survival. These results indicate that RAGE expression is a useful marker for tumor progression and disease recurrence in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma.
