Fatemeh Mashhadiabbas, Maryam M Chafjiri, Mahmood Dashti, Muhammad A Mudasser, Sanaz Gholami
Objective: This study was aimed at investigating the roles of podoplanin (PDPN) as a marker associated with malignant development, progression, and poor prognosis in oral leukoplakia and various forms of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), particularly in relation to the extent of invasion.
Methods: Immunohistochemical analysis of PDPN was conducted on 77 histologically confirmed, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples representing various degrees of OSCC invasion and dysplasia grades.
Results: The samples were analyzed with Fisher's exact test and the Kruskal-Wallis test. Significant associations between sample type and the intensity, percentage, distribution, location, inflammation, and lymphatic vessel involvement according to staining were observed (p < 0.05). The PDPN staining score progressively increased from mild dysplasia to carcinoma in situ within the dysplasia classification, whereas in the OSCC classification, the highest overexpression was observed in the well-differentiated group.
Conclusion: Early invasive OSCC exhibited more aggressive behavior than micro-invasive OSCC, although both were less aggressive than invasive OSCC. These findings may aid in improving prognostic accuracy and informing treatment strategies.
