title: Expression of Myofibroblasts in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: An Immunohistochemical Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common types of malignancy affecting the orafacial region and with a high mortality rate. The fact that stroma of the tumor modulates and facilitates the progression and metastasis of the malignancy has been shown in the past studies. The cells of the activated stroma that are responsible for the progression and metastasis of the tumor are the fibroblasts having smooth muscle properties. These myofibroblasts are said to secrete numerous inflammatory mediators and factors which are said to play a crucial role in tumor progression. Therefore, we evaluated the presence of myofibroblasts in OSCC, by immunohisto-chemistry using alpha smooth muscle actin (a-SMA) antibody.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated a total of 50 biopsy specimens from the archives of the oral pathology, where 20 specimens out of 50 were of well-differentiated OSCC (WDOSCC), 20 were of poorly differentiated OSCC (PDOSCC), and 10 were of normal healthy controls. All the specimens were stained by immunohistochemically using with monoclonal antihuman α-SMA. Etemad-Moghadam et al method was used for assessing the myofibroblast distribution. Staining index was evaluated for the groups and compared. All the results were analyzed by Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean percentage of myofibroblasts score for WDOSCC and PDOSCC were 2.88 and 2.92 respectively. The mean staining intensity score in WDOSCC and PDOSCC were 2.88 and 2.55 respectively. Statistically significant results were obtained while comparing the final staining index score between the OSCC group and normal control group. No significant correlation could be obtained while comparing the mean staining index score in between WDOSCC and PDOSCC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Malignant epithelium might induce the adjacent stromal tissue to produce myofibroblasts. These specialized cells may be utilized as therapeutic targets for the treatment of OSCC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Proliferation of myofibroblasts may be used as a stromal marker of premalignancy and malignancy.
authors: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Microbiology, Geetanjali Dental and Research Centre, Udaipur Rajasthan, India, Phone: +917023283322, e-mail: drvikasprasad@yahoo.co.in.
authors: B Vikas
authors: BV
authors: Prasad
authors: Department of Public Health Dentistry, Geetanjali Dental and Research Centre, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India.
authors: Gauri S
authors: GS
authors: Kakatkar
authors: Department of Prosthodontics, Buraydah Colleges, Burhaydah Al-Qassim, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors: Preet
authors: P
authors: Jain
authors: Department of Periodontics, Buraydah Colleges, Burhaydah Al-Qassim, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors: Meetu
authors: M
authors: Jain
authors: Pacific Dental College and Hospital, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India.
authors: Maulik
authors: M
authors: Patel
authors: Pacific Dental College and Hospital, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India.
authors: Javed
authors: J
authors: Khan
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D058628:Myofibroblasts / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Alpha smooth muscle actin; Myofibroblast Oral squamous cell carcinoma.