A Correlation of Serum Histamine and Mast Cell Count with the Established Prognosticators in Oral Cancer

CONTEXT: We undertook this study in view of the rising interest in the interactions between tumor cells and mast cells in the tumor microenvironment and the mounting evidence of the role of mast cells in the prognosis of various cancers. AIMS: The aim of the study is to determine the prognostic utility of mast cells and their mediators in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional analytical study. A total of 41 cases were studied for determining the correlation of mast cell counts with histopathological prognostic variables and 29 cases for determining the serum histamine levels and to further correlate the values with the histopathologic determinants. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Mast cell assessment was done using Toluidine blue stain on tissue sections while histopathological prognostic factors were evaluated with routine stains. The serum histamine levels were obtained by sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Mann–Whitney U-test was used to test the difference between parameters and a Spearman correlation coefficient was used. P < 0.05 was considered significant for statistical analysis. RESULTS: We found statistically significant correlations between increased median mast cell counts and higher grade of tumor, presence of lymphovascular invasion, greater depth of invasion, and presence of regional lymph node involvement. The serum histamine values correlated only with the depth of tumor invasion. CONCLUSIONS: Hence, as per our results, we suggest the use of mast cell counts in OSCC cases as a prognostic indicator in conjunction with other clinicopathological factors. At the same time, we acknowledge the fact that extensive studies are required to establish the role of mast cell mediators in the prognostic curve of oral cancer patients.