IADR Abstract Archives
Embryonic Markers SOX2-OCT3/4: Immunohistochemical Expression in Oral Leukoplakia/Cancer
Objectives: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have a critical role in carcinogenesis and tumor growth. Εmbryonic stem cell markers as transcription factor SOX-2 and Octamer-binding-transcription-factor (OCT3/4) have been used to investigate the cancer stem cells. This study focus on the immunohistochemical detection of SOX-2 and OCT3/4 expression in oral leukoplakias and oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs).
Methods: Immunohistochemical detection of SOX-2 and Oct3/4 in tissue-sections from paraffin embedded samples of 21 cases of oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) and 30 cases of potentially malignant lesions (Leukoplakias), compared to normal oral epithelium. The samples were retrieved from the archives of the Department of Oral Medicine/Pathology, School of Dentistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece during the period 2009-2019. Statistical analysis was performed through SPSS Pearson Chi-square and the significance level was set at 0.05 (p=0,05).
Results: The nuclear staining of OCT3/4 was present in only 3/21 OSCC (with poor-moderate grade of differentiation). The nuclear staining of SOX-2 was observed in the basal and parabasal layers of the normal epithelium. Overall, the expression of SOX-2 was significantly increased in OSCCs compared to oral leukoplakias (p-value=0.005), In contrast, the expression of SOX-2 was not statistically significantly altered among the different grades of leukoplakias (p-value=0.152) and of OSCCs (p-value=1.000).
Conclusions: The characteristic altered expression of embryonic markers SOX-2/OCT3/4 in oral potentially malignant (leukoplakias) and OSCC lesions suggest the presence of CSCs-phenotype in oral epithelial dysplastic transformation and tumorigenesis. The clinical application of SOX-2/OCT3/4 as prognostic factors requires the experimental evaluation in larger number of samples.
Methods: Immunohistochemical detection of SOX-2 and Oct3/4 in tissue-sections from paraffin embedded samples of 21 cases of oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) and 30 cases of potentially malignant lesions (Leukoplakias), compared to normal oral epithelium. The samples were retrieved from the archives of the Department of Oral Medicine/Pathology, School of Dentistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece during the period 2009-2019. Statistical analysis was performed through SPSS Pearson Chi-square and the significance level was set at 0.05 (p=0,05).
Results: The nuclear staining of OCT3/4 was present in only 3/21 OSCC (with poor-moderate grade of differentiation). The nuclear staining of SOX-2 was observed in the basal and parabasal layers of the normal epithelium. Overall, the expression of SOX-2 was significantly increased in OSCCs compared to oral leukoplakias (p-value=0.005), In contrast, the expression of SOX-2 was not statistically significantly altered among the different grades of leukoplakias (p-value=0.152) and of OSCCs (p-value=1.000).
Conclusions: The characteristic altered expression of embryonic markers SOX-2/OCT3/4 in oral potentially malignant (leukoplakias) and OSCC lesions suggest the presence of CSCs-phenotype in oral epithelial dysplastic transformation and tumorigenesis. The clinical application of SOX-2/OCT3/4 as prognostic factors requires the experimental evaluation in larger number of samples.