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Objectives: Natural killer (NK) cells are important effector lymphocytes. NK cells are considered to represent innate immune system. NK cells target and kill aberrant cells such as virally infected and tumorigenic cells. The purpose of this study was to assess the expression of CD57 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to correlate the expression of CD57 with 3 years survival in patients with OSCC. Materials and Methods: About 100 histopathologically diagnosed cases of OSCC of various grades were divided into two groups, i.e., Group I (dead patients) and Group II (live patients) from the archives of Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology. CD57 was detected in these tissues by immunohistochemistry. Result: The results were analyzed using Spearman's correlation coefficient and students unpaired t-test. The mean CD57 labeling index in Group II was significantly higher than that found in Group I (P = 0.000). There was a significant correlation (P = 0.00) in the mean CD57 levels between Groups I and II and prognosis of patient. Conclusion: CD57 could be a good prognostic marker for OSCC patients.

Introduction: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a precancerous condition predominantly seen in people of Asian descent. About 7-12% OSMF patients develop oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Morphological features of OSMF especially fibrosis suggests a possibility of the hypoxic environment in diseased tissues. Oral cancer usually develops from hyperplasia through dysplasia to carcinoma. Neovascularization and increased glycolysis, represent adaptations to a hypoxic microenvironment that are correlated with tumor invasion and metastasis. The adaptation of cells to hypoxia appears to be mediated via hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). HIF-1α is said to be associated with malignant transformation of epithelium in other sites. It appears that HIF-1α plays a significant role in both prostate and cervical carcinogenesis at early stages. We hypothesize that progression of OSMF and malignant transformation in the background of fibrosis mediates via HIF-1α either by up- or down-regulation of various such molecules. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the expression of HIF-1α in OSMF, OSCC and OSCC with OSMF. Aim: To investigate the relationship between the expression of HIF-1α in OSMF, OSCC and OSCC with OSMF. Materials and Methods: The study group consists of histopathologically diagnosed 20 cases of OSCC, oral submucous fibrosis and OSCC with OSMF each. The immunohistochemistry was carried out on neutral buffered formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections by using the monoclonal antibody of HIF-1α. Results: A rise in the expression of HIF-1α from OSMF to OSCC to OSCC with OSMF is observed.

Sarcomatoid carcinomas are biphasic tumors proven to be monoclonal dedifferentiated forms of conventional squamous carcinomas. It is a variant of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) which has spindled tumor cells, which simulate a true sarcoma, but are epithelial in origin. They are extremely uncommon in the head and neck region. Only 10 cases have been discussed in the literature. When compared to SCC of maxilla, this variant is associated with poor diagnosis and advanced disease at presentation as is demonstrated in the case presented. Diagnosis of sarcomatoid squamous carcinoma is challenging because of overlapping histopathological features with other spindle-cell tumors. Understanding their clinicopathologic characteristics facilitates their diagnosis and appropriate clinical management. Surgery and radiotherapy form the mainstays of treatment. We report a rare case of spindle-cell carcinoma involving the mandible.