Podoplanin expression in oral leukoplakia: Tumorigenic role

• Published in: Oral oncology Vol. 49; no. 6; pp. 598 - 603
• Main Authors: de Vicente, Juan Carlos, Rodrigo, Juan Pablo, Rodriguez-Santamarta, Tania, Lequerica-Fernández, Paloma, Allonca, Eva, García-Pedrero, Juana María
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers, Tumor - metabolism; Carcinogenesis; Epithelial dysplasia; Facial bones, jaws, teeth, parodontium: diseases, semeiology; Female; Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Leukoplakia, Oral - metabolism; Leukoplakia, Oral - pathology; Male; Malignant transformation; Medical sciences; Membrane Glycoproteins - metabolism; Middle Aged; Mouth Neoplasms - metabolism; Mouth Neoplasms - pathology; Multiple tumors. Solid tumors. Tumors in childhood (general aspects); Non tumoral diseases; Oral cancer; Oral leukoplakia; Otolaryngology; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Podoplanin; Retrospective Studies; Squamous cell carcinoma; Tumors; Upper respiratory tract, upper alimentary tract, paranasal sinuses, salivary glands: diseases, semeiology; Immunohistochemistry; Squamous cell carcinoma; Oral cancer; Oral leukoplakia; Malignant transformation; Epithelial dysplasia; Podoplanin; Skin disease; Dysplasia; Premalignant lesion; Basal cell carcinoma; Stomatology; ENT; Malignant tumor; Anatomic pathology; Cancerology; Oral cavity disease; Oral leukoplasia; Oral premalignant lesion; Cancer
• ISSN: 1368-8375; 1879-0593
• DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2013.02.008

Summary Objectives Recent studies have identified podoplanin, a mucin-type transmembrane glycoprotein, as a biomarker for oral cancer risk in patients with oral leukoplakia (OPL). The aim of this study was to investigate the potential association between podoplanin and the risk of malignant transformation of OPL with epithelial dysplasia. Materials and methods In this retrospective study, podoplanin immunoexpression was analyzed in 58 patients with oral leukoplakia that showed epithelial dysplasia. Lesions with podoplanin expression in the basal and suprabasal layers of oral epithelium at one area or showing suprabasal expression at two or more areas were considered as positive. Association between podoplanin expression and oral cancer development was analyzed. Results Twenty-two of the 58 lesions (38%) were classified as podoplanin-positive, and the remaining 36 (62%) lesions were considered podoplanin-negative. The expression of podoplanin was correlated with the grade of dysplasia ( p < 0.0005), and with the risk of progression to oral cancer ( p < 0.0005). In multivariate survival analysis, only premalignant oral lesions displaying positive podoplanin expression showed a significantly increased risk of developing an oral squamous cell carcinoma (hazard ratio = 8.738, p = 0.007). Conclusion Podoplanin could be a valuable biomarker for risk assessment of malignant transformation in patients with OPL along with histological assessment.