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. 2024 Nov 27;16(11):e74634.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.74634. eCollection 2024 Nov.

Comparison of E-Cadherin Expression in Oral Verrucous Carcinoma and Normal Oral Mucosa: An Immunohistochemical Study

Pratijya Raj  1 , Manish Bhargava  1 , Anchal Varshney  1
Affiliations

Comparison of E-Cadherin Expression in Oral Verrucous Carcinoma and Normal Oral Mucosa: An Immunohistochemical Study

Pratijya Raj et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Introduction Oral verrucous carcinoma (OVC), a low-grade variation of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), is distinguished by endophytic development and a pebbly, mammillated surface. OVC, often referred to as Ackerman's tumor, has been known to involve lymph nodes but rarely spreads to regional and distant locations; when the primary tumor grows, it frequently involves surrounding tissues. Histopathologically, it has a thicker basement membrane, many reduplications, and a large area of inflammatory infiltration that resembles OSCC. Therefore, precise histological diagnosis of verrucous carcinoma is crucial as helps in identifying tumors with a higher propensity to develop into OSCC. In cancer progression, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is the most important stage. One factor influencing EMT is epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin). Thus, it is imperative to identify indicators that can facilitate the detection of lesions with the potential to progress into OSCC. Aim This study aimed to identify the expression of E-cadherin in normal mucosa and verrucous carcinoma and determine its role in the progression of the lesion. Methodology A total of 15 subjects with normal mucosa and 15 subjects with verrucous carcinoma were histopathologically examined and confirmed. Tissue sections were stained immunohistochemically with E-cadherin, utilizing the normal mucosa as the control group. Results When comparing normal oral mucosa to oral verrucous carcinoma, a decrease in E-cadherin expression was noted. Nonetheless, a statistically significant connection was identified between clinical parameters and E-cadherin expression solely concerning gender. Conclusion Through this study, we have attempted to assess and correlate the expression of E-cadherin between OVC and normal oral mucosa with clinical parameters. Furthermore, compared to normal oral mucosa, there was a significant decrease in the expression of E-cadherin in OVC. While further research with an extensive panel of biomarkers and a larger sample size could yield a greater understanding of carcinogenesis mechanisms, E-cadherin serves as a significant marker in partially evaluating the carcinogenic process of oral cancer.

Keywords: cell to cell adhesion molecule; e-cadherin; immunohistochemistry(ihc); tumour; verrucous carcinoma.

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheswara College of Dental Sciences & Hospital, Dharwad, Karnataka, India issued approval 2016/P/OP/50. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Membranous (M) and cytoplasmic (C) immunostaining in basal and superficial layer of normal oral epithelium (Magnification: x40, IHC: E-cadherin).
IHC: immunohistochemistry
Figure 2
Figure 2. Verrucous carcinoma showing stratified squamous epithelium with pushing broad rete ridge showing loss of expression of E-cadherin in basal cell layer (Magnification: x10 inset, IHC: E-cadherin).
IHC: immunohistochemistry
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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