Comparison of Cluster Differentiation 44 expression in Oral Lichen Planus, Oral Leukoplakia and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Objectives: The aim of the study is to compare the expression of CD44 in OLP, OL and OSCC. Methods and Materials: This laboratory study is performed on paraffin blocks from tissue biopsies of patients with OLP, OL and OSCC available in the maxillofacial archive of pathology department of Imam Khomeini hospital, Urmia; 12 blocks of each lesion and 10 normal mucosal tissue blocks as a control group. The smears were stained by H E and then stained by CD44 antibody kit and cut into 5-micron dimensions. 4 codes were used to evaluate the intensity of staining based on the average percentage of stained cells to total cells: staining less than five percent with a negative code, staining five to 25% code +1, staining 25% to 50 % code +2, staining 50% to 75% code +3 and for staining 75% and above code +4. Then the data was analyzed. Results: There is a significant difference between the three lesions of OLP, OL, and OSCC in the expression level of CD44 (p 0.001) and expression of this molecule in the mucosa of OSCC was higher compared to the OLP and OL. Also, the expression of CD44 in three lesions of OLP, OL, and OSCC had a statistically significant difference with oral normal mucosa (p 0.001). Conclusion: Based on the findings, this protein can probably be a suitable marker to confirm the prediction of dysplasia in oral premalignant lesions such as OLP and OL, and invasion, metastasis, prognosis and recurrence in OSCC.