Objectives: The aim of the present study is to evaluate CD44 expression to detect cancer stem cell activity along with analyzing the DNA ploidy, to predict the activity of oral carcinogenesis.
Materials and method: Forty formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissues of oral lesions were used and divided equally into 4 groups; different premalignant white lesions, well, moderate, and poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinomas. All specimens were immunostained using CD44 antibodies. Moreover, the same paraffin blocks for each case used to prove the differentiation in DNA ploidy between groups using flow cytometer.
Results: The CD44 immunoexpression showed a marked statistical significant difference between premalignant white lesions and poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinomas. Flow cytometric analysis of DNA parameters between the tested groups revealed a powerful difference of DNA ploidy between the premalignant group and other malignant groups. The S-phase fraction showed significant difference between poorly differentiated OSCC and premalignant lesions with no effective differences between the malignant lesions.
Conclusions: The findings of the present study suggest that the CD44 immunoexpression collaborates with the DNA content analysis presented a real indicator in prediction the behavior of oral premalignant and malignant lesions.