Assessment of apoptotic index in potentially malignant pathologies and squamours cell carcinoma of oral cavity- an in vitro study

Abstract

Oral cancer is a serious and growing problem in many parts of the globe. Oral squamous cell carcinoma is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. Prognostic evaluation for oral squamous cell carcinoma OSCC is mainly based on clinical TNM classification but this staging system is not sufficient for optimal prognostication and must be supplemented by other reliable methods.Conventional light microscopic examination with routine hematoxylin and eosin stain is capable of identifying the various morphological changes that occur during apoptosis. Moreover at the same time counting of apoptotic bodies using light microscopy is much more feasible.The present study is used to to quantify and compare the Apoptotic Index in Hyperkeratosis with varying degree of dysplasia and varying grades of oral squamous cell carcinoma with that of normal tissue sections. In our study Apoptotic Index increased with increasing degrees of dysplasia compared with that of normal healthy tissue. On the contrary Apoptotic Index increased in well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma and was least in poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma which was even less than normal healthy tissue specimen. Thus we conclude that apoptotic count significantly increases in cases of dysplasia and squamous cell carcinoma when compared to normal mucosa.