Expression of heat shock protein 27 in oral potentially malignant disorders and oral squamous cell carcinoma: An immunohistochemical study

Abstract

Aim: The present study aims to estimate as well as compare the amount of immunohistochemical expression of heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) in oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Materials and methods: The study group comprised 24 cases of OPMDs, 12 OSCC cases, and 9 normal (controls) oral mucosa specimens. All sections were stained immuno-histochemically with HSP27 antibody kit followed by analysis. Results: Increased intensity of staining with statistically significant difference (p = 0.001) was observed in OSCC cases when compared with normal oral mucosa sections. Statistically insignificant results were obtained between OPMDs and normal tissues. Conclusion: Due to significant increase in the staining intensity of OSCC cases when compared with normal sections, HSP27 can be possibly used as a prognostic marker in OSCC cases. Clinical significance: Early diagnosis of malignant transformation through diagnostic markers will markedly improve the overall quality of life. Therefore, early monitoring of the expression of HSP27 in OPMDs will give an insight into their malignant transformation.