Estimation of expression of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin levels through progression of disease from normal to epithelial dysplasia to malignancy

BACKGROUND: Gonadotropins have been extensively studied in trophoblastic and nontrophoblastic tumors of breast, gastric, bladder, parathyroid, renal cell and cervical carcinomas, with a significant increase in tissue expressions. Serum levels of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) and its tissue expression were found more in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients with a significant diagnostic and prognostic value. No such study has been done on oral epithelial dysplasia (OED). AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the expression of β-hCG in OED and the feasibility of using this marker for early diagnosis and to see its progression from normal to dysplasia to malignancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population consisted of thirty histologically confirmed cases of OED and thirty cases of OSCC. Fifteen normal tissues were also included in the study. All the tissue samples were subjected to immunohistochemical (IHC) staining using antimouse β-hCG antibody. RESULTS: The IHC expression of β-hCG was completely negative in normal cases (Group 1 [n = 15]), whereas 13 (43.3%) cases of OED (Group 2 [n = 30]) and 13 cases (43.3%) of OSCC (Group 3 [n = 30]) showed diffuse cytoplasmic staining in dysplastic surface epithelium and epithelial islands of OSCC. This difference was statistically significant with P = 0.007. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the expression of β-hCG increased from normal mucosa to dysplasia to OSCC, suggesting that it is involved in the early stage of carcinogenesis and progression of the disease.