P53, p16 and Ki67 immunoexpression in oral squamous carcinomas

In this study, we have analyzed clinically, histopathologically and immunohistochemically a total of 34 cases of oral squamous carcinoma in 11 of the cases being identified adjacent epithelial dysplastic lesions. Carcinomas were diagnosed in patients aged 40-60 years, males, with chronic exposure to tobacco and/or alcohol, being located especially on the lips. Well-differentiated carcinomas have been predominant (52.9%) in stage I/II tumoral (88.3%). Immunoexpression analysis of p53, p16 and Ki67 did not reveal statistically significant differences between the expression of markers and clinical or histopathological parameters, except Ki67 whose increased expression was associated to the decrease of the degree of tumoral differentiation and with high degree dysplasia. The positivity index and the intensity of reaction were increased at the level of dysplasic epithelium for p16 and at the level of tumoral invasion front for the p53 and Ki67. The study highlights the value of the immunostain for p16 in identifying dysplasic lesions and predictive importance of p53 and Ki67 markers in identifying the aggressive forms of oral carcinomas.