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Glucose Transporter 1 Overexpression in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Samina Qamar1, Sanum Fatima2, Abdul Rehman1
1Department of Pathology, King Edward Medical University, Lahore, Pakistan.
Objective:
To determine association of immunohistochemical over expression of GLUT 1 (Glucose transporter 1) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) with histopathological grade and smoking.
Study Design:
Descriptive cross-sectional study.
Place And Duration Of Study:
Pathology Department, King Edward Medical University (KEMU), Lahore, from January 2018 to July 2018.
Methodology:
Paraffin blocks of diagnosed cases of oral SCC presenting at Pathology Department, KEMU, were selected for immunostain GLUT 1. Tumor was graded by WHO 2010 grading. Immunoreactive score (IRS) was calculated for GLUT 1, by multiplying proportion and intensity score of stain. Data was analysed by SPSS 21. Chi-square test was used to measure correlation between GLUT 1 staining, smoking and grade of tumor. P<0.005 was taken as significant.
Results:
A total of 60 biopsies were included in the study. GLUT 1 was positive in 52 (86.6%) and negative in 8 (13.3%) biopsies. When differentiation of tumor was compared with GLUT 1 positivity with the help of Chi-square test p<0.001 and 95% CI, out of 52 positive biopsies 32 (61.5%) were well, 18 (34.6%) were moderately and 2 (3.8%) were poorly differentiated. GLUT 1 was positive in 43 (82.7%) and only 9 (17.31%) of non-smokers. GLUT 1 was negative in 7 (87.5%) smokers and positive in only 1 (12.5%) of smokers.
Conclusion:
GLUT 1 is positive diffusely in oral SCC with higher expression in lower grades of tumor. As the tumor loses squamous differentiation, it also loses GLUT 1 receptors and thus expression. Smoking has no significant relation with tumor differentiation or GLUT 1 expression.
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