Evaluating the efficacy of osteopontin expression as a prognostic marker in oral squamous cell carcinoma in the Indian subpopulation

AIM: This study aimed to correlate the prognostic value of osteopontin (OPN) expression using both tissue and plasma samples from patients with clinically and histologically confirmed oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). METHODS AND MATERIALS: The study group comprised of sixty patients (n = 60), which were clinically and histologically diagnosed for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The Control group comprised of ten (n = 10) healthy volunteers. Plasma OPN levels were assayed using a quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (OPN ELISA). Expression of OPN was also identified and evaluated by immunohistochemistry in tissue sections. These OPN expressions were then correlated with different parameters like age, sex, site, clinical presentation, tumor node metastasis (TNM) staging, histopathological grading and lymph node metastasis. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to evaluate the difference in tissue intensity and plasma OPN levels between the OSCC and the normal control groups. RESULTS: The distribution of the plasma OPN levels and tissue OPN intensity in OSCC cohorts were compared to histopathological grades and analyzed. When evaluated OPN expression in tissue had higher intensity observed in OSCC (95% +ve) cases. And the mean plasma OPN concentration in OSCC cohort was more in comparison to the normal cohort. The results clearly showed that the plasma OPN levels and intensity grading in tissue correlated with tumor grades. CONCLUSION: The study highlights OPN as a biomarker for prognosis in OSCC in both plasma and tissue samples. We would like to emphasize on the evaluation of plasma OPN as a protocol of blood examination for all cancer patient, as it may serve as an indicator for tumor progression and potential risk of metastasis.