title: Apoptosis in oral epithelial dysplastic lesions and oral squamous cell carcinoma: A prognostic marker.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Apoptotic index (AI) using light microscopy as an indirect measure to assess the significance of apoptosis as a proliferative marker in dysplastic lesions and malignant epithelial lesions of the oral cavity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  (1) To quantify the apoptotic bodies/cells in oral epithelial dysplastic (OED) lesions and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). (2) To measure AI in OED and OSCC. (3) To compare AI in OED and OSCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  The proposed laboratory-based retrospective study involved the use of hematoxylin and eosin (H and E)-stained slides of previously diagnosed OED lesions and OSCC from institutional archives.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study constituted 50 cases, each of H and E-stained slides of previously diagnosed cases of OED and OSCC. AI was calculated as the number of apoptotic bodies/cells expressed as a percentage of the total number of nonapoptotic tumor/dysplastic cells counted in each case.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nonparametric tests such as Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney test were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a statistically significant increase in AI from OED to OSCC (P = 0.000).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further studies need to be undertaken to detect and understand the apoptotic mechanisms in the progression from OED to OSCC.
authors: Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, SDM College of Dental Sciences and Hospital, Dharwad, Karnataka, India.
authors: Shwetha
authors: S
authors: Nambiar
authors: Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, SDM College of Dental Sciences and Hospital, Dharwad, Karnataka, India.
authors: Veda
authors: V
authors: Hegde
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor