European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Tumors of oral cavity are characteristically preceded by Potentially Malignant Disorders which may elucidate various morphological and histopathological changes, known as Oral Epithelial Dysplasia. Histopathological evaluation of dysplasia has greater variability and may not always predict the malignant transformation rates. Identification of molecular markers which can augment the diagnosis before the malignant transformation can increase the survival rates. Hence to ascertain the prognostic significance of OED, we designed a study evaluating the expression of COX 2, a novel marker in histopathological confined OED. Material and Methods: 20 cases of Oral epithelial dysplasia, 20 cases of gingivitis, 10 cases of normal mucosa and positive control (colon cancer) were studied for COX 2 IHC expression. COX-2 staining was evaluated based on the positive cells and staining intensity. Statistical Analysis: The statistical tests used in this study were t-test and Chi-square test using SPSS (version 22.0.0.0). Interpretation and Result- In our study, COX 2 was significantly expressed on study group I, suggestive of its complementary roles during oral carcinogenesis. More over the expression of COX 2 was evident on all grades of dysplasia, even the mild dysplastic epithelium showed an increased staining intensity than a non-dysplastic lesion .Our findings indicate that COX 2 expression can be a specific marker for PMDs and can reduce the risk of developing malignancy. Our study also suggests classification of epithelial dysplasia to be tailored along with molecular alterations so that it reduces the incidence of disease progression and mortality