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Apoptosis in primary oral squamous cell carcinomas without lymph node metastases
Zhi Yan1, Guomin Wang, Zhiyong Xie
1Medical Cosmetic Surgery Center, Wuhan First Hospital (International), Wuhan 430030, China.
Summary
Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, was studied in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) without lymph node metastasis. Higher apoptotic rates correlated with lower pathological grades, suggesting a link to malignancy.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cell Biology
- Pathology
Background:
- Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a common malignancy.
- Understanding apoptosis in OSCC is crucial for prognosis.
- The role of apoptosis in OSCC without lymph node metastasis requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate apoptosis in primary OSCCs without lymph node (LN) metastases.
- To determine the relationship between apoptosis and clinical stages and pathological grades in these tumors.
Main Methods:
- Utilized terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay.
- Analyzed 15 cases of primary OSCCs.
- Calculated the apoptotic index (AI) as the percentage of apoptotic tumor cells.
Main Results:
- Apoptotic cells were detected in all 15 OSCC cases using TUNEL.
- The apoptotic index (AI) ranged from 0.03 to 0.92, with an average of 0.32.
- A significant negative correlation was found between AI and pathological grades (P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Apoptosis is a measurable event in OSCCs lacking lymph node metastasis.
- The rate of apoptosis is inversely related to the pathological grade of OSCC.
- These findings suggest that apoptosis plays a role in the malignant progression of OSCCs without lymph node metastasis.