Expression of caveolin 1 in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Context: Caveolin-1 is a surface protein that is a major structural component of caveolae, which are vesicles of the plasma membrane integral to a variety of signal transduction molecules and transport functions. Caveolin-1 is a biomarker undergoing research & studies have shown an increased expression of Cav-1 in the stepwise carcinogenesis from the normal oral mucosa, hyperplastic mucosa, dysplastic mucosa, precancerous lesions to Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma. In the present study Correlation between Caveolin-1 expression and grade of tumor was established statistically. Aims: To study immunohistochemical expression of Caveolin-1 in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Settings and Design: Cross sectional study carried out in a tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: A total of 90 cases of histopathologically diagnosed oral squamous cell carcinoma was evaluated. Grading of the cases into well, moderate and poorly differentiated carcinomas was done as per WHO guidelines. Margin and lymph node status were evaluated. Anti-Caveolin-1 antibody (E249)- Caveolae marker ab32577 was used in the dilution of 1:100. Results were expressed taking reference of the methodology used by Hung et al 2003. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 25.0). Results: Correlation of tumor grade and lymph node metastasis was statistically significant p=0.0006. There was a significant statistical correlation between tumor grade and immunohistochemical expression of Caveolin-1, p-value=0.00. Correlation between Lymph node metastasis and Caveolin-1 was statistically significant, p-value=0.008. Conclusions: Caveolin-1 expression correlates with aggressive tumor behavior and poor prognostic outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]