Langerhans Cell Density in the Development of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Document Type : Original Articles
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
Abstract
Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional study, 80 tissue samples were examined in four groups of 20, including: 1) benign keratosis, 2) epithelial dysplasia, 3) OSCC (without cervical lymph node involvement), and 4) OSCC
(with cervical lymph node involvement). Immunohistochemical staining with CD1a marker was used to identify LCs. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Scheffe post hoc tests, and the significance level was considered P < 0.05.
Results: The density of LCs from benign keratosis (6.75 ± 2.51)) was significantly increased in epithelial dysplasia (38.7 ± 7.14) and OSCC without lymph node involvement (43.35 ± 19.21). However, in OSCC with cervical lymph node involvement, the cell density was significantly reduced (8.41 ± 13.15), which was significantly lower than that in dysplasia and OSCC without lymph node involvement (P < 0.001).
Conclusion: The density of LCs during oral cancer development follows a biphasic pattern of “increase and then decrease”. The sharp decrease of these cells in advanced stages is a hallmark of a successful immune evasion mechanism by the tumor, which appears to be a precursor to lymphatic invasion. Therefore, quantitative assessment of LCs density could serve as a valuable prognostic tool for predicting risk in patients with OSCC.
Keywords
)