Differential expression of cell proliferation and apoptosis markers in squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue in young and old patients

Abstract

Introduction: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common malignant neoplasm of tongue. Some investigations show that tongue SCC (TSCC) in young patients has a more aggressive behavior. Tumor progression is believed to be influenced by tumor cell proliferation as well as anti-apoptotic activity. The present study was conducted to assess ki-67 and bcl-2 expression in TSCC between young and older patients. Materials and Methods: Thirty paraffin block sections of TSCC were stained with monoclonal antibodies against bcl-2 and Ki-67. Data were analyzed by Mann–Whitney and Spearman correlation coefficient test. Results: Samples from 19 men and 11 women, with a mean age of 56 years, were evaluated. The patients were divided into two groups, A (>45 years) and B (≤45 years). Clinical and microscopic data such as tumor size, grade, and muscle invasion were extracted. Bcl-2 expression was negative for all the samples except one. Ki-67 expression was assessed as a percentage of Ki-67-positive neoplastic cells and scored subsequently. There was a significant association between the expression of ki-67 with microscopic grade and age (P