KRAS Protein Expression in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Potential Marker for Progression and Prognosis

Background & Objective: Emerging evidence suggests that KRAS could play an important role in squamous cell carcinoma; however, its role in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is largely unknown. The aim of the current study was to investigate the expression of KRAS, Ki-۶۷, Cyclin D۱, and Bcl۲ in OSCC and their association with clinicopathological features.Methods: Forty paraffin blocks of retrospective histologically diagnosed cases of OSCC and ۲۰ blocks of oral leukoplakia with epithelial dysplasia were obtained from two hospitals between ۲۰۱۸ and ۲۰۲۱. The paraffin-embedded tissue was analyzed for the expression of kras for oral epithelial dysplasia and OSCC, and ki-۶۷, Cyclin D۱, and bcl۲ were analyzed only for OSCC. The results were correlated with each other and with different clinicopathological features and were statistically analyzed.Results: KRAS expression was significantly associated with histological tumor grade, tumor extent, presence of nodal and distant metastasis, pathological stage, and the presence of lymphovascular invasion (P=<۰.۰۰۱, ۰.۰۰۱, ۰.۰۰۱, ۰.۰۰۹, <۰.۰۰۱, and <۰.۰۰۱, respectively). The kras expression was positively correlated with the histological grade, tumor extent, nodal status, and the pathological stage (r=۰.۷۱۲, ۰.۶۴۹, ۰.۶۴۶, and ۰.۸۶۵, respectively). A positive correlation was also found with the expression of Bcl۲, Cyclin D۱, and Ki-۶۷ (r=۰.۸۱, ۰.۷۲۳, and ۰.۶۹۸, respectively). The kras expression in oral epithelial dysplasia was significantly lower than that in OSCC (P=۰.۰۰۳).Conclusion: KRAS may be a potential prognostic marker for OSCC and may play a role in its progression. 

کلیدواژه ها:

Bcl۲ ، Cyclin D۱ ، Ki-۶۷ ، KRAS ، Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma