Comparative Evaluation of SMAD-2 Expression in Oral Submucous Fibrosis and Reactive Oral Lesions

BACKGROUND: The event of fibrosis encompasses involvement of definite immunological and molecular mechanisms. As quite a lot of pro-fibrotic pathways are concerned, a multipronged approach is obligatory to cognize the fibrotic events. SMAD signaling pathway hasn’t been studied oral fibrotic events.In the progression of cramming the SMAD signaling pathway in OSMF, the first initiator protein of the pathway was considered for evaluation in the present study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 100 subjects consisting of 20 controls, 40 patients with reactive lesions such as Traumatic Fibroma, Epulis Fissuratum and Gingival Hyperplasia and 40 patients with Oral Submucous Fibrosis were recruited for the study. Tissue homogenates were assayed by quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay technique using Human Mothers Against Decapentaplegic Homolog 2 (Smad2). RESULTS: SMAD 2 expression values showed significant difference between control and OSMF group. However, the difference between reactive lesions with control and OSMF were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Graded increase of SMAD 2 expression from control,reactive lesions and OSMF were observed accentuating the role of SMAD signalling pathway in fibro genesis. Further this can be validated to generate effective antifibrotic targets.