Abstract
CD36, a fatty acid scavenger receptor expressed in tumors, is associated with a poor prognosis in several types of cancers. We previously reported the involvement of CD36 in the proliferation and migration of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells. However, little is known regarding the clinical significance of CD36 expression in OSCC. In the present study, we evaluated the association between CD36 expression and the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with OSCC. Immunohistochemical expression of CD36 was quantified using the H-score, and its association with clinicopathological characteristics was evaluated in 32 OSCC cases. The mean H-score for CD36 expression in the membrane was 83.27. CD36 expression was significantly correlated with the mode of invasion and differentiation of OSCC cells. Moreover, high CD36 expression was significantly correlated with a low survival rate and relapse in patients. Our results suggest that CD36 may be a predictive biomarker for OSCC malignancy and prognosis.