Abstract
Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a life-threatening disease. It could be preceded by oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs). It was confirmed that chronic inflammation can promote carcinogenesis. Cytokines play a crucial role in this process. The aim of the study was to evaluate interleukin-1alpha (IL-1α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in tissue specimens and saliva of patients with OSCC and OPMDs. Methods: Cytokines were evaluated in 60 tissue specimens of pathological lesions (OSCCs or OPMDs) and in 7 controls (normal oral mucosa, NOM) by immunohistochemistry and in saliva of 45 patients with OSCC or OPMDs and 9 controls (healthy volunteers) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results: Immunohistochemical analysis revealed significantly higher expression of IL-8 in OSCC specimens and TNF-α in OSCCs and OPMDs with dysplasia as compared to NOM. Moreover, expression of TNF-α was significantly higher in oral leukoplakia and oral lichen planus without dysplasia, whereas expression of IL-8 only in oral leukoplakia without dysplasia in comparison with NOM. Salivary concentrations of all evaluated cytokines were significantly higher in patients with OSCC than in controls. Moreover, levels of IL-8 were significantly higher in saliva of patients with OPMDs with dysplasia as compared to controls and in OSCC patients as compared to patients with dysplastic lesions. There was also significant increase in salivary concentrations of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α in patients with OSCC as compared to patients with OPMDs without dysplasia. Conclusion: The study confirmed that proinflammatory, NF-kappaB dependent cytokines are involved in pathogenesis of OPMDs and OSCC. The most important biomarker of malignant transformation process within oral mucosa among all assessed cytokines seems to be IL-8. Further studies on a larger sample size are needed to corroborate these results.
Highlights
Oral cancer is quite common disease and has an increasing worldwide trend [1]
On the basis of histopathological examination and clinical data, 14 tissue samples were diagnosed as Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), 21 as oral leukoplakia without dysplasia (OL), 15 as oral lichen planus without dysplasia (OLP), and 10 as oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) (5 cases as hyper- and/or parakeratosis with dysplasia and 5 cases as lichenoid dysplasia)
IL-1α was present more often within all layers of the epithelium in OSCCs than in oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) and it was present within all layers of the epithelium in none of the specimens assessed as normal oral mucosa
Summary
Over 90% of malignancies affecting this region are diagnosed as oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) [2]. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a life-threatening disease. It could be preceded by oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs). Results: Immunohistochemical analysis revealed significantly higher expression of IL-8 in OSCC specimens and TNF-α in OSCCs and OPMDs with dysplasia as compared to NOM. Salivary concentrations of all evaluated cytokines were significantly higher in patients with OSCC than in controls. Levels of IL-8 were significantly higher in saliva of patients with OPMDs with dysplasia as compared to controls and in OSCC patients as compared to patients with dysplastic lesions. There was significant increase in salivary concentrations of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α in patients with OSCC as compared to patients with OPMDs without dysplasia. Further studies on a larger sample size are needed to corroborate these results
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