AgNOR count as objective marker for dysplastic features in oral leukoplakia.
BACKGROUND
Dysplasia is an important feature of leukoplakia. Because agreement among oral pathologists is poor regarding lesional diagnosis, silver stainable nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) as replicatory markers may have a place in objectively characterizing dysplasia in tissue specimens.


METHODS
We studied 41 normal oral epithelia, 51 oral leukoplakia (26 dysplastic, 25 non-dysplastic), and 51 cases of squamous cell carcinoma specimens for their mean AgNOR counts.


RESULTS
Mean AgNOR counts increased gradually from normal epithelium to non-dysplastic to dysplastic leukoplakia to squamous cell carcinoma. Using ROC analysis, we determined a mean AgNOR count cut-point (2.37) that can be used to distinguish between dysplastic and non-dysplastic leukoplakia. The test had a sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 83% with area under the curve being 88%.


CONCLUSIONS
Mean AgNOR count could be a valuable criterion for defining objective parameters for diagnosis/determination of dysplasia distinguishing between dysplastic and non-dysplastic leukoplakia.
Chattopadhyay
Amit
A
Department of Dental Ecology, School of Dentistry and Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA. pretatma@hotmail.com
Ray
Jay G
JG
Caplan
Daniel J
DJ
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D019540:Area Under Curve; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007972:Leukoplakia, Oral / Q000473:pathology*; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D009697:Nucleolus Organizer Region / Q000473:pathology*; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000473:pathology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016622:Silver Staining
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor