PP - ORAL SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA: ANATOMICAL LOCATION VERSUS IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL EXPRESSION OF KI-67, HER-3, MMP-2, AND MMP-9

Abstract

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) commonly occurs in oral cavity, with the lower lip and tongue being common sites of involvement. This research aimed to elucidate the reason why lip SCC (LSCC) is considered to have a better prognosis compared with tongue SCC (TSCC). The following immunohistochemical markers were used: Ki-67, which is involved in cell proliferation; HER-3, receptor of the tyrosine kinase family that controls angiogenesis and extracellular invasion of the head and neck region and is considered a predictive factor for neoplastic behavior; MMP-2 and MMP-9, which are proteins responsible for the degrading components of the extracellular matrix and basement membranes. In total, 30 cases of LSCC, 29 cases of TSCC, and 18 controls (C) were included. Ki-67 was quantified in a total of 900 cells per case, while HER-3, MMP-2, and MMP-9 were quantified according to the percentage of positively stained cells. The collected data were subjected to statistical analysis (alpha=5%). The results revealed no significant differences in the expression of HER-3, MMP-2, and MMP-9 between LSCC and TSCC. Cell proliferation was higher in LSCC than in TSCC, despite the former being considered to exhibit a better prognosis. Further studies are necessary to clarify this issue.