背景:口腔粘膜下纤维化(OSF)是一种癌前病变,口腔鳞状细胞癌(OSCC)是影响口腔粘膜的最常见恶性肿瘤。OSF向OSCC的恶性转化估计发生在7-13%的病例中。肌成纤维细胞(MFs)在生理和病理过程中发挥关键作用,比如伤口愈合和肿瘤发生,分别。本研究旨在探讨MFs在OSF及其恶性转化过程中的作用。
方法:总共,收集94个福尔马林固定石蜡包埋的组织块,包括正常口腔粘膜(NOM;n=10),早期中度OSF(EMOSF;n=29),高级OSF(AOSF;n=29),癌旁OSF(POSF;n=21),和OSCC(n=5)样本。α-平滑肌肌动蛋白用于MFs的免疫组织化学鉴定。
结果:NOM表现出不常见的MFs表达。在AOSF中发现了较高的MFs染色指数,其次是EMOSF和NOM。此外,从EMOSF到POSF和OSCC,MF的染色指数显着增加。MOM中MFs的染色指数,EMOSF,AOSF,POSF,OSCC分别为0.14±0.2、1.69±1.4、2.47±1.2、3.57±2.6和8.86±1.4。所有结果均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。
结论:随着疾病从轻度转化到恶性转化,MFs的表达逐渐增加,表明MFs在与OSF相关的纤维化和潜在肿瘤发生中的作用。
BACKGROUND: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a precancerous lesion, with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) being the most prevalent malignancy affecting the oral mucosa. The malignant transformation of OSF into OSCC is estimated to occur in 7-13% of cases. Myofibroblasts (MFs) play pivotal roles in both physiological and pathological processes, such as wound healing and tumorigenesis, respectively. This
study aimed to explore the involvement of MFs in the progression of OSF and its malignant transformation.
METHODS: In total, 94 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks were collected, including normal oral mucosa (NOM; n = 10), early-moderate OSF (EMOSF; n = 29), advanced OSF (AOSF; n = 29), paracancerous OSF (POSF; n = 21), and OSCC (n = 5) samples. Alpha-smooth muscle actin was used for the immunohistochemical identification of MFs.
RESULTS: NOM exhibited infrequent expression of MFs. A higher staining index of MFs was found in AOSF, followed by EMOSF and NOM. Additionally, a significant increase in the staining index of MFs was found from EMOSF to POSF and OSCC. The staining index of MFs in NOM, EMOSF, AOSF, POSF, and OSCC was 0.14 ± 0.2, 1.69 ± 1.4, 2.47 ± 1.2, 3.57 ± 2.6, and 8.86 ± 1.4, respectively. All results were statistically significant (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: The expression of MFs exhibited a gradual increase as the disease progressed from mild to malignant transformation, indicating the contributory role of MFs in the fibrogenesis and potential tumorigenesis associated with OSF.