Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression in oral squamous cell carcinomas

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Cell Biology
• Immunohistochemistry

Background:

• Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is a nuclear protein synthesized during the late G1 and S phases of the cell cycle.
• PCNA can be detected immunohistochemically in paraffin-embedded tissues, serving as a marker for the proliferating cell fraction.
• Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a common malignancy where understanding tumor proliferation is crucial for prognosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA) expression and clinicopathological parameters in oral squamous cell carcinoma.
• To evaluate PCNA as a potential biomarker for tumor progression in OSCC.
• To assess the relationship between PCNA levels, tumor stage (TNM staging), and histological grade.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-eight cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma were analyzed.
• Tumor samples were classified according to the UICC clinical staging (T1, T2, T3) and histological grading (G1, G2, G3).
• Immunohistochemical staining was performed to quantify the percentage of PCNA-positive tumor cells.

Main Results:

• The mean percentage of PCNA-positive tumor cells across all cases was 29.2%.
• PCNA-positive cell percentages were significantly higher in larger tumors (T2/T3) compared to smaller tumors (T1).
• No significant correlation was found between PCNA expression and histological grade (G1, G2, G3), nor between T2 and T3 stages.

Conclusions:

• PCNA expression is significantly associated with tumor size in oral squamous cell carcinoma, suggesting its utility as a proliferation marker.
• While PCNA indicates increased proliferation in larger OSCC tumors, it does not correlate with histological grade.
• Further research may explore PCNA's role in predicting OSCC behavior and treatment response.