Year : 2019

Volume : Volume 10

Issue : Issue 2

Address for correspondence :
Dr. Stuti Kumari.
stuti.singh011@gmail.com

Abstract

Background:  This study was conducted to analyse the distribution of the silver stained Nucleolar Organiser regions (AgNOR) in  leukoplakia(epithelial dysplasia) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), and in their various histological grades, and to assess the role of AgNOR distribution, that if it could give information about the malignant potentiality in premalignant lesions and aggressiveness of the malignant lesions. Material and method: The study specimens comprised of 70 archival cases, of which 30 cases were of leukoplakia and 40 cases of OSCC. The samples were stained by H&E and modified silver staining method of Ploton et al. for the Nucleolar Organiser Regions. The specimens were evaluated by the two different observers. Results: The mean AgNOR count in leukoplakia was 2.80 ±0.50 and in cases of OSCC was 5.71± 1.08. The mean AgNOR count in leukoplakia cases of mild dysplasia was 2.59 ±0.66, in moderate dysplasia was 2.92± 0.43 and in severe dysplasia was 2.79. The mean AgNOR count in cases of well differentiated OSCC was 5.73± 1.62 and in cases of moderately differentiated OSCC was 5.67±1.19. Conclusion: The mean AgNOR count was higher in cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma as compared to cases of leukoplakia(epithelial dysplasia), and the AgNOR counts increased with the increase in the grades of dysplasia indicating a higher proliferative rate with increase in dysplasia.

Keywords: Leukoplakia, AgNORs, squamous cell carcinoma, cell proliferation.