Assessment of the innervation pattern of oral squamous cell carcinoma using neural protein gene product (9.5)– An immunocytochemical study
Date
2012-01
Authors
Habash, Fahed S.
Abu Hantash, Ra'ed O.
Abu Younis, Mohammed H.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
Abstract
Background: This study was carried out to assess the innervation patterns
in oral cancer using the general neuronal marker protein gene product 9.5
(PGP 9.5) and to find an explanation for why oral cancer tends to be painless
in the early stages. Materials and Methods: Tumor tissue from 30 unselected
patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma was evaluated for this study.
PGP 9.5 was used to localize nerve fibers in oral squamous cell carcinoma.
An indirect immunofluorescence technique using biotin/FITC streptavidin
detection system was used on paraffin wax sections of tumor tissue fixed in
neutral buffered formalin. Results: There was no PGP9.5 immunoreactivity in
the normal tissue adjacent to the tumor in 18 cases out of 30 (60%). In 12/30
of oral squamous cell carcinoma, preexisting nerve fibers were detected in
tissue stroma adjacent to the cancer tissue. Labeled nerve fibers between
tumor cells were detected only in 2 out of the 30 cases. Conclusion: There
are no apparent patterns of innervations in the cancer tissues themselves, but
there are innervations patterns in the surrounding tissue, which presumably
represents preexisting nerves. These results may partly explain why oral
cancer tends to be painless in the early stages.
Description
Keywords
Indirect immunofluorescence technique , oral squamous cell carcinoma , tumor innervation