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Intramucosal Inoculation of Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells in Mice for Tumor Immune Profiling and Treatment Response Assessment
Published on: April 22, 2019
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Autophagy analysis in oral carcinogenesis.
T B de Lima1, A H R Paz2, P V Rados1
1Department of Oral Pathology - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Pathology, Research and Practice
|August 28, 2017
Summary
Autophagy levels increase during oral cancer development. While elevated in oral squamous cell carcinoma, autophagy correlates with poorer outcomes specifically in oral leukoplakia, indicating its role in lesion progression.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cell Biology
- Oral Pathology
Background:
- Autophagy, a cellular degradation process, plays a complex role in cancer.
- Understanding autophagy in oral precancerous lesions and cancer is crucial for prognosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify autophagy levels in oral leukoplakia and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).
- To correlate autophagy with clinicopathological features and lesion evolution.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemistry was used to quantify LC3-II positive cells in normal oral mucosa, oral leukoplakia, and OSCC.
- Tissue Microarrays were employed for OSCC analysis.
- Statistical analyses included t-test, ANOVA, and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis.
Main Results:
- Autophagy levels were significantly increased in OSCC compared to normal mucosa and leukoplakia (p<0.001).
- In leukoplakias, higher autophagy was observed in dysplastic lesions (p=0.0319) and those with poorer evolution (p=0.0133).
- No association was found between autophagy levels and poorer evolution or survival in OSCC patients.
Conclusions:
- Autophagy is upregulated during oral carcinogenesis.
- Autophagy levels correlate with the progression and poorer behavior of oral leukoplakias.
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