title: Immunoexpression of cleaved caspase-3 shows lower apoptotic area indices in lip carcinomas than in intraoral cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to evaluate apoptosis by assessing cleaved caspase-3 immunoexpression in hyperplastic, potentially malignant disorder (PMD), and malignant tumors in intraoral and lower lip sites.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study using paraffin blocks with tissues from patients with inflammatory fibrous hyperplasia (IFH), actinic cheilitis, oral leukoplakia, lower lip and intraoral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) was performed. The tissues were evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis with anti-cleaved caspase-3 antibody. Apoptotic area index was then correlated with lesion type.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 120 lesions assessed, 55 (46%) were cleaved caspase-3-positive. The SCC samples (n=40) had the highest apoptotic area indices (n=35; 87.5%). Significant differences were detected between SCCs and PMDs (p=0.0003), as well as SCCs and IFHs (p=0.001), regarding caspase-3 immunopositivity. Carcinomas of the lower lip had lower apoptotic area indices than intraoral cancer (p=0.0015).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cleaved caspase-3 immunoexpression showed differences in oral SCCs and PMDs and demonstrated a distinct role of apoptosis in carcinogenesis of intraoral and lower lip cancer. In future, the expression of cleaved caspase-3 with other target molecules in oral cancer may be helpful in delineating the prognosis and treatment of these tumors.
authors.affiliation: - Universidade Federal Fluminense, Faculdade de Odontologia, Niterói, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Ana Flávia Schueler de Assumpção
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.affiliation: - Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Biologia Roberto de Alcântara Gomes, Departamento de Bioquímica, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Vagner Gonçalves
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Bernardo
authors.affiliation: - Instituto Nacional de Câncer José Alencar Gomes da Silva, Centro de Pesquisas, Programa de Carcinogênese Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Luisa Aguirre
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Buexm
authors.affiliation: - Universidade Federal Fluminense, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Patologia, Niterói, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Eliene Carvalho da
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.affiliation: - Universidade Federal Fluminense, Instituto de Matemática, Departamento de Estatística, Niterói, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Licínio Esmeraldo da
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: - Universidade Federal Fluminense, Faculdade de Odontologia, Departamento de Formação Específica, Nova Friburgo, RJ, Brasil.|- Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Faculdade de Odontologia, Departamento de Clínica-odontológica, Vitória, ES, Brasil.
authors.forename: Danielle Resende Camisasca
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Barroso
authors.affiliation: - Universidade Federal Fluminense, Faculdade de Odontologia, Programa de Pós-graduação em Odontologia, Niterói, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Simone de Queiroz Chaves
authors.initials: Sde Q
authors.lastname: Lourenço
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D063646:Carcinogenesis / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000032:analysis*; D002613:Cheilitis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007972:Leukoplakia, Oral / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D008048:Lip Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D053148:Caspase 3