Evaluation of Inflammatory Markers in Oral Cancer

Objectives: To characterize the inflammatory markers in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), as well as their relationship with clinical and microscopic parameters.
Methods: The samples consisted of specimens of OSCC (n = 30), healthy oral mucosa (negative control, n = 10), and apical granuloma with abscess (positive inflammatory controls, n = 10). The qRT-PCR techniques was used to evaluate IL17 expression and immunohistochemistry to identify the number of CD66b⁺ (neutrophil), MMP9⁺, and IL17⁺ cells, and neoformed microvessels (CD105⁺). Semiquantitative (IL17) and quantitative (CD66b, IL17, MMP9, and CD105) analyses were performed. Clinical information (TNM stage, metastasis, recurrence, and survival) and tumor histological grade were also obtained.
Results: Positivity for neutrophil, MMP9, IL17, and neoformed microvessels was higher in OSCC than in the negative control (P < 0.05), but similar to the positive inflammatory control. Coincident high counts of inflammatory markers (CD66b, MMP9, IL17, and CD105) were associated with lymph node metastasis of OSCC. Associations between high numbers of neoformed microvessels and advanced clinical stage (tumors T3/T4) and a higher degree of malignancy (Bryne's grade II/III) were demonstrated (p<0.05).
Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrated that combined positivity for neutrophil, MMP9, IL17, and neoformed microvessels appears to be associated with the metastasis prone phenotype of OSCC.