MCM3 could be a better marker than Ki-67 for evaluation of dysplastic oral lesions: an immunohistochemical study.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to identify the expression of MCM3, Ki-67 and p27 in normal mucosa, leucoplakia and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and determine whether altered expression could serve as a prognostic marker of a malignant progression of dysplastic lesions.


METHODS
The samples were collected from 37 patients with oral leucoplakia (13 with mild dysplasia - MLD, 12 with moderate dysplasia - MD and 12 with severe dysplasia - SD). Eleven samples of mouth floor mucocele (M) and 50 floor mouth and tongue samples OSCC of untreated patients were included in this study. Immunohistochemical expression of MCM3, Ki-67 and p27 of all the groups was analysed. Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's test were used to determine differences among groups, and a Pearson's correlation test was used to evaluate the correlation between the proteins.


RESULTS
Ki-67 expression was higher in OSCC than M (P < 0.001) and MLD (P < 0.01) groups, and there was a lower expression in M compared with MD and SD (P < 0.05). Regarding p27, its expression was lower in OSCC compared with M, MD and SD. MCM3 expression was lower in M compared with SD and OSCC (P < 0.001), and MLD showed a lower expression when compared SD (P < 0.01) and OSCC (P < 0.001). Moreover, a better correlation was observed between the proteins MCM3 and p27 than between Ki-67 and p27 proteins when all lesions were examined together.


CONCLUSIONS
This study showed that MCM3 could be a better marker than Ki-67 for evaluation of dysplastic oral lesions.
João de Barros Barreto University Hospital, Belém, Brazil.
Aladim Gomes
AG
Lameira
Flávia Sirotheau Corrêa
FS
Pontes
Douglas Magno
DM
Guimarães
Ana Carolina Garcia
AC
Alves
Adriana Souza
AS
de Jesus
Hélder Antônio Rebelo
HA
Pontes
Décio Dos Santos
Ddos S
Pinto
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology; D050760:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27 / Q000032:analysis; D018450:Disease Progression; D004848:Epithelium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis*; D007972:Leukoplakia, Oral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064126:Minichromosome Maintenance Complex Component 3 / Q000032:analysis*; D009060:Mouth Floor / Q000737:chemistry; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000737:chemistry; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D009078:Mucocele / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000032:analysis; D012907:Smoking / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; C066470:MCM3 protein, human; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D050760:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27; D064126:Minichromosome Maintenance Complex Component 3
Ki-67; MCM3; leucoplakia; oral cancer; p27