Predictive value of quantitative DNA analysis in the carcinogenesis of oral submucous fibrosis

To explore the diagnostic value of DNA quantitative analysis for the malignant transformation of Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF), as well as the risk factors for OSF carcinogenesis.

Clinical data from 85 OSF patients treated between June 2021 and June 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Using pathological diagnosis as the gold standard, the diagnostic performance of DNA quantification was evaluated. The relationship between DNA quantitative findings and patients clinicopathological features was analyzed. Meanwhile, factors associated with abnormal DNA content and risk factors for OSF malignant transformation were identified through multivariate logistic regression analysis. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was employed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of DNA quantitative analysis for predicting malignant transformation.

Among the 85 OSF patients, 34 (40.0%) developed malignant transformation. DNA quantitative analysis results revealed 40 (47.1%) had abnormal DNA content, while the other 45 did not. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis identified lesion location and degree of epithelial dysplasia as risk factors for abnormal DNA content; betel-nut chewing frequency, smoking, and the presence of oral leukoplakia (OLK) or oral lichen planus (OLP) were significantly associated with OSF carcinogenesis. The ROC curve for DNA quantitative analysis in diagnosing OSF carcinogenesis showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.770, with a sensitivity of 79.4%, specificity of 74.5%, positive predictive value of 67.5%, and negative predictive value of 84.4%.

DNA quantitative analysis is a valuable tool for assessing carcinogenic risk of OSF. Lesion location and epithelial dysplasia are significant factors associated with abnormal DNA content, while lifestyle factors and coexisting oral lesions contribute to malignant transformation risk.