Histological and immunohistochemical analysis of oral squamous cell carcinoma samples from 2018‑2022

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a critical public health issue that is becoming more common, with an increasing incidence and mortality rate due to a low quality of life. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of OSCC in relation to the demographic parameters of patients between 2018 and 2022, and to analyze the association with histopathological grades. Additionally, the present study aimed to evaluate the immunoexpression of biomarkers, such as p63, cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in different grades of OSCC. For this purpose, a total of 58 patient samples were retrieved and a biopsy sample was obtained for histopathological analysis and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Hematoxylin and eosin‑stained sections were graded using Broder's criteria. A manual tissue microarray technique was employed for the analysis of expression of IHC markers, such as p63, CD44 and EGFR. The results revealed that as regards histological grading, 35 cases (60.34%) were classified as well‑differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (WDSCC, grade I), while 23 cases (39.33%) were identified as moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (MDSCC, grade II). An increased immunoexpression of CD44 and EGFR was noted in WDSCC, while there was a lower immunoexpression in MDSCC. All cases of WDSCC and MDSCC exhibited a strong positive nuclear immunoexpression of p63. On the whole, the present study demonstrates that the majority of the OSCC cases were WDSCC, followed by MDSCC. Thus, OSCC histopathological grades can be strong prognostic indicator. A low expression of CD44 in OSCC tissues may indicate tumor invasion and a higher risk of developing metastasis. Patients with OSCC exhibiting EGFR immunoexpression may benefit from specific targeted therapy.