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Prediction of OSCC using biomarkers: Methodological mistake
Oral Oncology 48 (2012) e51
Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect
Oral Oncology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/oraloncology
Letter to the Editor Prediction of OSCC using biomarkers: Methodological mistake
We were interested to read the paper by Chaw and colleagues published in the June 2012 issue of Oral Oncol.1 The authors aimed to investigate immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis of E-cadherin, b-catenin, APC and Vimentin for prediction of oral malignant transformation. They used co-expression of biomarkers and correlation with histopathological grading to predict the OSCC. The authors reported that co-expression of b-catenin, APC and Vimentin (Spearman rank correlation) suggests interdependence of these molecules and involvement of the Wnt pathway in oral malignant transformation!1 Such a correlation has nothing to do with prediction of an outcome.2–4 Moreover, why did the authors not divide their data into two and develop the model on one half and test it on the other? Or use other methods such as bootstrapping to test the reliability of their model?2–4 As the authors point out in their conclusion, aberrant expression of b-catenin, APC and Vimentin are potential markers of malignant transformation. Such a conclusion is misinterpretation may lead to the mismanagement of the patients and should be avoided in clinical researches.2–4
References 1. Chaw SY, Abdul Majeed A, Dalley AJ, Chan A, Stein S, Farah CS. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) biomarkers - E-cadherin, beta-catenin, APC and Vimentin – in oral squamous cell carcinogenesis and transformation. Oral Oncol(13). 2. Jeckel JF, Katz DL, Elmore JG, Wild DMG. Epidemiology, biostatistics and preventive medicine. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA, United States: Saunders, Elsevier; 2007. 3. Rothman JK, Sander Greenland, Lash Timothy L. Modern epidemiology. 3rd ed. Baltimore, United States: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008. 4. Szklo M, Nieto FJ. Epidemiology; beyond the basics. 2nd ed. Manhattan, New York, United state: Jones and Bartlett Publisher; 2007.
Funding statement ‘‘This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors’’.
q
DOI of original article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.oraloncology. 2012.05.011
1368-8375/$ - see front matter Ó 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.oraloncology.2012.07.018
⇑
Siamak Sabour Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Faculty of Dentistry, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ⇑ Corresponding author at: Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Chamran, Evin, Tehran, Iran. Tel.: +98 21 22432040; fax: +98 21 22432036. E-mail address: [email protected] (S.Sabour) Maryam Moezizadeh Faculty of Dentistry, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Available online 24 August 2012
Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect
Oral Oncology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/oraloncology
Letter to the Editor Prediction of OSCC using biomarkers: Methodological mistake
We were interested to read the paper by Chaw and colleagues published in the June 2012 issue of Oral Oncol.1 The authors aimed to investigate immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis of E-cadherin, b-catenin, APC and Vimentin for prediction of oral malignant transformation. They used co-expression of biomarkers and correlation with histopathological grading to predict the OSCC. The authors reported that co-expression of b-catenin, APC and Vimentin (Spearman rank correlation) suggests interdependence of these molecules and involvement of the Wnt pathway in oral malignant transformation!1 Such a correlation has nothing to do with prediction of an outcome.2–4 Moreover, why did the authors not divide their data into two and develop the model on one half and test it on the other? Or use other methods such as bootstrapping to test the reliability of their model?2–4 As the authors point out in their conclusion, aberrant expression of b-catenin, APC and Vimentin are potential markers of malignant transformation. Such a conclusion is misinterpretation may lead to the mismanagement of the patients and should be avoided in clinical researches.2–4
References 1. Chaw SY, Abdul Majeed A, Dalley AJ, Chan A, Stein S, Farah CS. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) biomarkers - E-cadherin, beta-catenin, APC and Vimentin – in oral squamous cell carcinogenesis and transformation. Oral Oncol(13). 2. Jeckel JF, Katz DL, Elmore JG, Wild DMG. Epidemiology, biostatistics and preventive medicine. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA, United States: Saunders, Elsevier; 2007. 3. Rothman JK, Sander Greenland, Lash Timothy L. Modern epidemiology. 3rd ed. Baltimore, United States: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008. 4. Szklo M, Nieto FJ. Epidemiology; beyond the basics. 2nd ed. Manhattan, New York, United state: Jones and Bartlett Publisher; 2007.
Funding statement ‘‘This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors’’.
q
DOI of original article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.oraloncology. 2012.05.011
1368-8375/$ - see front matter Ó 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.oraloncology.2012.07.018
⇑
Siamak Sabour Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Faculty of Dentistry, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ⇑ Corresponding author at: Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Chamran, Evin, Tehran, Iran. Tel.: +98 21 22432040; fax: +98 21 22432036. E-mail address: [email protected] (S.Sabour) Maryam Moezizadeh Faculty of Dentistry, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Available online 24 August 2012