Evaluating the expression of synuclein-γ (SNCG) and Ki 67 in potentially malignant oral lesions and oral cancer

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a subset of head and neck cancers and constitutes about 94% of all oral malignant tumors. Despite advances in therapies, the overall 5-year survival rate has remained unchanged during the past decades, mainly due to delayed diagnosis, under diagnosis or misdiagnosis. Hence, the data demonstrate the importance of early diagnosis and underscore the growing need to identify novel prognostic biomarkers. Our study aims to determine Synuclein-γ (SNCG) and Ki 67 as potential biomarker for the diagnosis of OSCC. Archival formalin fixed paraffin embedded blocks (FFPE) of oral potentially malignant disorders ( n = 40) and primary oral squamous cell carcinomas ( n = 40) cases were retrieved from the department archives. Sections were cut and immunohistochemically stained with Anti-SNCG Mouse monoclonal antibody [1H10D2] and Ki 67 Mouse monoclonal antibody. The expression of the biomarkers was semi-quantitatively evaluated. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS software and Chi square tests were used to determine the association between the expression of the biomarkers and clinical and histopathological parameters. A p value of < 0.05 was considered to be significant. In the study group for oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs), positive SNCG expression in the cytoplasm of the dysplastic cells was observed in 92.5% cases. Whereas positive Ki 67 expression in nucleus of the dysplastic cells was observed in 85% cases. In the study group for OSCC, positive SNCG expression in the cytoplasm of the tumor cells was observed in 95% cases. Whereas positive Ki 67 expression in nucleus of the tumor cells was observed in 97.5% cases. There was significant correlation between expression of SNCG with lymphovascular invasion ( p = 0.037), margin clearance ( p = 0.039) and patient outcome ( p = 0.021). Also, there were significant correlation between the expression of Ki 67 with gender ( p = 0.004), histological grade of tumor (0.014), and stage of nodal status ( p = 0.026). Although Ki-67 has been established as a useful standalone biomarker for prognostication in oral epithelial dysplasia and OSCC, its associations with certain clinicopathological parameters remain inconclusive. In contrast, SNCG expression exhibited significant correlations with these parameters in the present study. The observed complementary expression dynamics of Ki-67 and SNCG therefore support their potential utility as a combined biomarker panel, offering a more robust approach to prognostication in both dysplasia and OSCC.