Frequency of Langerhans Cells in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma with and without Cervical Lymph Node Involvement

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Dentist, School of Dentistry, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Dental Research Center, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

3 Associate Professor, Dental Materials Research Center, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

10.22122/jids.v21.i3.0226

Abstract

Introduction: Most patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) are diagnosed at an advanced stage. The present study aimed to compare the frequency of Langerhans cells in OSCC with and without cervical lymph node involvement.
Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-analytical, cross-sectional study conducted at the School of Dentistry in 2024-2025, 20 OSCC samples with cervical lymph node involvement (group 1) and 20 OSCC samples without cervical lymph node involvement (group 2) were selected from the archives of the Oral Pathology Department of Isfahan Dental School and Ayatollah Kashani Hospital. To determine the number of Langerhans cells, the samples underwent immunohistochemical staining for the CD1a marker, and the number of Langerhans cells within the tumor was counted. The obtained data were statistically analyzed using independent t-tests, chi-square, Mann-Whitney and Fisher's exact tests. P < 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: The mean number of Langerhans cells in group 1 was significantly lower than that in group 2 (P < 0.001). The mean number of these cells did not differ significantly in the two groups based on age, gender, tumor size, neural invasion, and histopathological grade (P < 0.05). The mean number of Langerhans cells showed a significant difference based on lymphovascular invasion and clinical stage (P < 0.001).
Conclusion: A significant decrease in the number of Langerhans cells is associated with cervical lymph node involvement. Therefore, examining these cells can be helpful in determining prognosis and determining more appropriate treatment methods.

Highlights

Laleh Maleki: PubMed, Google Scholar

Saeedeh Khalesi: PubMed, Google Scholar

Keywords

References

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Journal of Isfahan Dental School
Volume 21, Issue 3
Volume 21, Issue 3, October 2025
October 2025
Pages 226-239

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