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Case Reports
. 2024 Nov 29:15:1477477.
doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1477477. eCollection 2024.

Case report: Non-invasive cyto-salivary sampling and biomarker detection via ELISA versus histopathology for diagnosing oral potentially malignant disorders - Insights from a case-control study

Federico Rebaudi  1 , Alberto Rebaudi  2 , Alfredo De Rosa  3 , Alberto Luigi Rebaudi  2 , Silvia Pesce  1   4 , Marco Greppi  1 , Marco Roghi  5 , Maurizio Boggio  4 , Simona Candiani  4   6 , Emanuela Marcenaro  1   4
Affiliations
Case Reports

Case report: Non-invasive cyto-salivary sampling and biomarker detection via ELISA versus histopathology for diagnosing oral potentially malignant disorders - Insights from a case-control study

Federico Rebaudi et al. Front Immunol. .

Abstract

Oral leukoplakia is classified among oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) by the World Health Organization (WHO). The visual oral examination (VOE) is the most used method for identifying lesions in their early stages. Given that the diagnosis of oral cancer is often late, there is an urgent need for early detection and examination of oral lesions. Surgical biopsy represents the gold standard as a diagnostic method, but because it is invasive, it cannot be repeated for periodic checks. We report the case of a lesion on the buccal mucosa of a 65-year-old male patient with a malignant appearance. The patient underwent a novel non-invasive cyto-salivary sampling and ELISA immunoassay for tumor biomarker detection and biopsy with histopathological analysis. The rapid ELISA test results excluded signs of malignancy, providing valuable insights into the lesion's immunophenotypic profile, which were consistent with the histopathological examination findings. This case report highlights the clinical and histopathological characteristics of a lesion with the aspect of Proliferative Verrucous Leukoplakia (PVL), emphasizing its challenging diagnosis and management. The integration of non-invasive cytobrush sampling with biomarker analysis proved valuable in detecting specific tumor biomarkers, potentially indicating ongoing tumor transformation. Monitoring these markers over time could enhance early detection and management strategies, thereby improving patient outcomes. This approach underscores the utility of non-invasive techniques in phenotyping oral lesions and supporting clinical decision-making in oral medicine.

Keywords: biomarker analysis; cytobrush sampling; histopathology; immune checkpoints; oral potentially malignant disorders.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(A) Clinical picture showing the lesion (B) Excisional biopsy of the lesion immediately following surgery, (C) Healing of the biopsy site at 6-month follow-up.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Chemiluminescent Phenotype of a lesion with aspect of Proliferative Verrucous Leukoplakia, 4 out of 6 biomarkers are positive (FM > than 1.2).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Histopathological image of the lesion with aspect of Proliferative Verrucous Leukoplakia showing pseudoinvasive aspects (Pa), hyperkeratosis and papillomatosis (HP), and chronic inflammatory infiltrate (Ci). (A) scale bar in (A) = 250 μm, scale bar in (B, C) = 100 μm.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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