Evaluation of stromal myofibroblasts in epithelial dysplasia and oral squamous cell carcinoma: An immunohistochemical study

Background: Among the cancers, oral cancer occupies tenth position, and the incidence is rising alarmingly with more than 300,000 new cases being detected every year. The expression of myofibroblast (MF) has been demonstrated in various malignant lesions and is considered an important participant in the invasive process. We have attempted to analyze the distribution and possible association of MF in epithelial dysplasia and squamous cell carcinoma by immunohistochemistry. Materials and Methods: Histopathologically confirmed twenty cases each of epithelial dysplasia and oral squamous cell carcinoma and ten cases of normal mucosa comprised the study group. MFs were detected by immunostaining with alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). Blood vessels and normal oral mucosa acted as an internal and external control respectively. Results: Of twenty cases of epithelial dysplasia, six (30%) were positive, all cases of squamous cell carcinoma and normal mucosa were positive and negative for α-SMA expression respectively. No statistical significance was observed between the patterns of MF distribution. Statistically significant results of α-SMA expression were noted in severe grades of dysplasia (P = 0.000) and between epithelial dysplasia and squamous cell carcinoma (P = 0.000). Conclusion: Analysis of α-SMA expression for MF proliferation can be used as a stromal marker for predicting behavior in oral precancer and cancer.