IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF OCT-4 AND CD44 IN ACTINIC CHEILITIS AND SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE LOWER LIP: COMPARATIVE STUDY
Actinic cheiliti; squamous cell carcinomas of the lower lip (SCCLL); OCT-4; CD44
Actinic cheilitis (AC) is a potentially malignant lesion that mainly affects the lower lip. The estimate is that approximately 95% of the squamous cell carcinomas of the lower lip (SCCLL) originate from this pathological entity due to genetic and epigenetic changes in a phenomenon known as photocarcinogenesis. In cancer biology, the relationship between embryogenesis and oncogenesis has been a subject of continuous researches, with emphasis on tumor stem cells. Studies have shown that the aberrant expression of the OCT-4 transcription factor and the CD44 transmembrane glycoprotein may contribute to the neoplastic process and play a role in tumor stem cell theory. According to the scientific literature, malignant transformation is evidenced in some cases of AC, and OCT-4 and CD44 can be used as stem cell identifiers. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the immunoexpression of OCT-4 and CD44 in a series of cases of AC (n = 40) SCCLI (n = 40), aiming at a better understanding of the role of tumor stem cells in labial carcinogenesis and also providing subsidies to identify AC lesions with a greater potential of malignant transformation.