Apoptosis in normal epithelium, premalignant and malignant lesions of the oropharynx and oral cavity: a preliminary study.
To explore the involvement of apoptosis in the development of oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in vivo, biopsies were taken from patients with macroscopically normal (n = 6), leukoplakic (n = 12) or malignant (n = 8) mucosa. Leukoplakic lesions were divided histologically into dysplasia (n = 5) or carcinoma in situ (CIS: n = 7). Material was prepared for light and electron microscopy. The apoptotic index (AI), vertical cell position of apoptoses (cp), mitotic index (MI) and AI:MI ratio were calculated for each patient. AI increased from 0.12% +/- 0.07 S.E.M. (normal) to 0.58 +/- 0.13 (CIS) but fell to 0.14 +/- 0.14 in SCC. Apoptoses were suprabasal in normals, but generalised in CIS. MI increased from normal (0.20 +/- 0.06) to SCC (0.32 +/- 0.09), and AI:MI was at its maximum in CIS (1.57; SCC: 0.44). The results suggest that a change in apoptosis accompanies the onset of invasion in a premalignant lesion of the human oral cavity and oropharynx.
Birchall
M A
MA
Department of ENT Surgery, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Herston, Queensland, Australia.
Winterford
C M
CM
Allan
D J
DJ
Harmon
B V
BV
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008940:Mitotic Index; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014067:Tonsillar Neoplasms / Q000648:ultrastructure