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Updated: May 22, 2026

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Published on: May 29, 2017
P53 and bcl-2 immunoexpression in patients with oral lichen planus and oral squamous cell carcinoma
Elba-Rosa Leyva-Huerta1, Constantino Ledesma-Montes, Rebeca-Estela Rojo-Botello
1Clinical and Experimental Pathology Laboratory, División de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Facultad de Odontología, UNAM, Ciprés #169-2, Col. Vergel-Coapa, México, 14320. D.F, Mexico.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to determine by immunohistochemistry the presence and significance of p53 and bcl-2 proteins in oral lichen planus (OLP) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).
Study Design:
We used 21 cases diagnosed as OLP 16 diagnosed as OSCC and four normal gingival biopsies taken from healthy patients were used as controls. Slides were processed for immunohistochemistry using anti-p53 and anti-bcl-2 monoclonal antibodies.
Results:
We found p53 immunoexpression in 71.4% OLP cases and 68.7% OSCC cases, with no immunoexpression in control cases. Bcl-2 was negative for all OLP and OSCC cases, and mild positivity was observed in normal tissue. We found significant correlation among p53 expression and OSCC malignancy.
Conclusions:
Our results suggest that TP53 system mainly promotes a hyperproliferative state by cell cycle arrest of the OLP epithelial cells for repairing damaged DNA nor apoptosis and that anti-apoptotic action of bcl-2 is not important in this disease.
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