Immunohistochemical Expression of SOX 2 in Oral Epithelial Dysplasia and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most prevalent malignancy of the oral cavity. Premalignant lesions frequently precede OSCC. Over the last three decades, the overall survival rate after 5 years of the patients remains unchanged. Early detection is best in preventing malignant transformation. Sex-determining region Y-box 2 (SOX 2) is an embryonic transcription factor that is, crucial for sustaining the pluripotency of stem cells and also promotes the maintenance of squamous epithelium. Aim: This study aimed to estimate the immunohistochemical expression levels of SOX 2 in normal mucosa (NOM), oral epithelial dysplasia (OED), and OSCC, to compare and correlate those three groups and also to assess the prognostic value in OSCC. Materials and Methods: A total of 70 cases of paraffin tissue blocks were obtained from the archives of our department, which were previously diagnosed as OED, OSCC, and NOM. Selected cases were screened immunohistochemically for SOX 2 expression. Statistical Analysis Used: Dunn’s test was utilized to find out the association among the categorical variables. Kruskal–Wallis test was to compare the continuous parameters between three groups. Results: SOX 2 expressions were found to be 80% positive in the OED group, 65% in the OSCC group, and negative in the NOM group. Conclusion: SOX 2 expression acts as a biomarker for oral cancer risk assessment. Higher SOX 2 expression in well-differentiated cases compared with poorly differentiated, which might indicate decreased lymph node metastasis and improved prognosis. As a result, SOX 2 expression might play an important role in the pathogenesis of OSCC.