Detection of Oral Submucous Fibrosis at the Crossroads of Altering Nucleogeometry, Nuclear Spatial Distribution and...

The manuscript concentrates on spatial distribution and various nucleomorphometric parameters of epithelium to diagnose Oral Submucous Fibrosis (OSF). Histologically confirmed OSF and normal submucosa tissue samples were procured and stained with diamidino phenylindole (DAPI) to visualize nuclei. E-cadherins and p63 were also immunohistochemically stained. Microphotographs were analyzed to quantify the spatial distance among the nuclei of the stained tissue samples. Intensity of the DAPI stained nuclei and p63 was quantified. In addition, morphometric analysis of nuclei was done with the help of ImageJ software to quantify the geometric alterations in OSF tissue. Spatial distances among the nuclei of OSF tissue samples were found to be significantly higher than that of normal tissue. We also observed a significant decrease in the mean intensity of DAPI and p63 in OSF tissue samples. In addition, we have found statistically significant alterations of various morphometric quantifications in OSF tissue nuclei. There was a considerable change in the spatial distribution of nuclei, as well as some distinct changes in the nucleogeometry of OSF tissue, which corresponds to histological abnormalities. Decreased intensity of DAPI and p63 advocate disease progression. The biomarkers in this study are the accountable role-players for early detection of oral carcinoma.