Correlation between clinicopathological indices and expression of cluster of differentiation 24 and cluster of differentiation 44 biomarkers in oral epithelial dysplasia and oral squamous cell carcinoma patients: A follow‑up study

Abstract

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common oral cavity cancer
and may occur following oral epithelial dysplasia (OED). Cancer stem cells (CSCs) can self‑renew
and multi‑directionally differentiate to promote tumorigenesis with high expression of cluster of
differentiation (CD) 24 and CD44 markers. CSCs play a pivotal role in tumor development, drug
resistance, and relapse after treatment. We aimed to evaluate the correlation between both marker
expressions and clinicopathological indices in OED and OSCC patients.
Materials and Methods: In this follow‑up study, we could access 37 patients, including 12 OEDs
and 25 OSCCs (Grade I: n = 9, Grade II: n = 8, and Grade III: n = 8). Data were analyzed using SPSS
software (version 26) and log‑rank tests, Fisher’s exact test, Chi‑square, and one‑way ANOVA.
P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: There was no significant difference in the expression of CD24 and CD44 markers between
the study groups (P > 0.05) and the expression of both markers and clinicopathological indices
in the study groups (P > 0.05). The mean and standard deviation of overall survival (OS) were
54.46 ± 43.08 with a range of 6–193 months, and they were 8.24 ± 15.34 months with a range of
0–70 months for disease‑free survival (DFS) in patients, respectively. The average of DFS in Grade I
was significantly lower than the OED (P = 0.002) and Grade II (P = 0.039) groups. The OS average in
the Grade I (P = 0.014) and Grade III (P = 0.004) groups was statistically lower than the OED group.
Conclusion: Although more than half of the patients demonstrated high expression of both
markers, there was no statistically significant difference between them and clinicopathological indices.
Key Words: Cluster of differentiation 24, cluster of differentiation 44, dysplasia, neoplastic
stem cells, squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck

Highlight

Narges Ghazi: Pubmed,Google Scholar