Year : 2018

Volume : Volume 9

Issue : Issue 3

Address for correspondence :
Dr. Nilesh D Pardhe.
drpardhenilesh@hotmail.com

Abstract

Background:  Oral cancer is a significant disease worldwide with up to 400000 new cases every year and almost 130,000 deaths annually. Oral leukoplakia is one of the most common precancerous lesions. Molecular pathogenesis is indeed our savior as it can be used for early diagnosis and prognosis. Cell proliferation is a fundamental process involved throughout life. It is hypothesized that in cancer, cell proliferation continues uncontrollably and may be the cause of tumorogenesis.  Aim: In the present study, Ki-67 (proliferative marker) expression was compared between lesions of OL with those of Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and with that of normal Oral Mucosa. Grades of epithelial dysplasia and OSCC were also evaluated. Material & Method: This retrospective study was done in Government Dental College & Hospital, Mumbai. The study comprised of 90 samples in total. Out of these, 48 were Oral Leukoplakia (OL) samples, 33 were Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC). 9 normal mucosal samples were taken. Tumor cells were considered positive for Ki-67 antigen if there was intranuclear light brown granular staining. Results: The comparisons showed overexpression with increasing grades of Oral Epithelial Dysplasia (OED) and with those of OSCC. These results were statistically significant (p value<0.05). Conclusion: We conclude that Ki-67 is a reliable marker to predict future outcome of OED and OSCC. It can be used routinely to monitor its progression and treatment modalities.

Keywords: Ki-67, epithelial dysplasia, carcinoma, leukoplakia.