Cyclin D1 in oral premalignant lesions and oral squamous cell carcinoma: An immunohistochemical study

BACKGROUND: Cyclin D1 is derived from PRAD1 or CCND1 gene located on chromosome 11q13 and it acts as a positive regulator of the cell cycle. In normal cells, cyclin D1 promotes progression through the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Over expression of cyclin D1 may lead to shortening of G1 phase, increased cell proliferation and reduced dependency on growth factors. Over expression of cyclin D1 has been reported in various tumors like esophageal carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, lung carcinoma, and head and neck carcinoma. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The study was carried out to evaluate and compare the expression of Cyclin D1 in premalignant lesion and different grades of oral squamous cell carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total 75 histopathologically diagnosed cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma and oral premalignant lesions cases were evaluated immunohistochemically for cyclin D1 expression. RESULTS: We found that cyclin D1 protein expression was significantly altered from epithelial dysplasia to oral squamous cell carcinomas. CONCLUSION: Thus we can conclude that cyclin D1 may be a useful marker in the cases of oral precancer and cancer. It can also act as a potential target for molecular intervention studies in future.