title: TWIST and p-Akt immunoexpression in normal oral epithelium, oral dysplasia and in oral squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the immunoexpression of TWIST and p-Akt proteins in oral leukoplakia (OL) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), correlating their expressions with the histological features of the lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemical studies were carried out on 10 normal oral epithelium, 30 OL and 20 OSCC formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples. Immunoperoxidase reactions for TWIST and p-Akt proteins were applied on the specimens and the positivity of the reactions was calculated for 1000 epithelial cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's post tests revealed a significant difference in TWIST and p- Akt immunoexpression among normal oral mucosa, OL and OSCC. In addition, a significant positive correlation was found between TWIST and p-Akt expressions according to the Pearson's correlation test.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results obtained in the current study suggest that TWIST and p-Akt may participate of the multi-step process of oral carcinogenesis since its early stages.
authors: Department of Oral Pathology, Dental School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. brunno@usp.br
authors: Bruno-Santos de Freitas
authors: BS
authors: Silva
authors: Fernanda-Paula
authors: FP
authors: Yamamoto
authors: Flávia-Sirotheau Corrêa
authors: FS
authors: Pontes
authors: Sérgio Elias-Vieira
authors: SE
authors: Cury
authors: Felipe-Paiva
authors: FP
authors: Fonseca
authors: Hélder Antonio-Rebelo
authors: HA
authors: Pontes
authors: Décio-dos Santos
authors: DD
authors: Pinto-Júnior
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007972:Leukoplakia, Oral / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051879:Twist-Related Protein 1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D051879:Twist-Related Protein 1; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt