Immunohistochemical expression of stathmin in oral dysplasia: An original study with an insight of its action on microtubules

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Stathmin is a phosphoprotein, which in its phosphorylated/unphosphorylated states plays a major role in polymerization/depolymerization of microtubules, respectively. Assembly of microtubules is an important aspect of cell division called mitosis. Hinderance in the function of stathmin could lead to damage in the mitotic process resulting in aneuploidy which is common manifestation of malignancies. Hence, stathmin could be used as a tumor marker for oral dysplasias and cancers. The purpose of the study is to compare the expression of stathmin in normal subjects to the patients with oral leukoplakia and to correlate its expression with different histopathological grades of oral leukoplakia This is the first ever study conducted to examine the expression of stathmin in oral dysplasia. METHODOLOGY: Thirty histopathologically confirmed cases of oral dysplasia were selected for the study. These tissues were evaluated immunohistochemically for stathmin. To enumerate the stathmin stained cells, 300 cells were examined manually in at least 5 areas and a mean percentage of positive–stained slides were determined. Then, each sample was assigned to one of the following staining scores: (0) – (<10% of stained cells); (1) – (11%–25% of stained cells); (2) – (26%–50% of stained cells); (3) – (51%–75% of stained cells); (4) – (76%–90% of stained cells) and (5) – (91%–100% of stained cells). The results were analyzed statistically using ANNOVA test. RESULTS: When comparison was made with respect to staining scores of stathmin between normal and dysplasia groups, the results were found to be statistically significant with a P = 0.0001. A statistically significant difference was observed between various histopathological grades of dysplasia with respect to stathmin immunohistochemistry scores with a P = 0.0001. CONCLUSION: These results suggest stathmin as a tumor marker and prognostic indicator.