Determination of Ki-67 expression in oral leukoplakia in snuff users and non-users in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan

Objectives: The aim of the article was to evaluate Ki-67 expression in oral leukoplakia in snuff users and non-users. Study Design: Descriptive Cross sectional study. Setting: At different hospitals of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Period: From August 2016 –March 2017. Material & Methods: Clinically diagnosed and histopathologically confirmed cases of oral leukoplakia in snuff users and non-users 30 cases each were immunohistochemically examined and percentage expression of nuclear Ki-67 was evaluated by a semi quantitative method in basal, parabasal and suprabasal layers of the lining epithelium. Results: The relationship of expression of Ki-67 in parabasal and suprabasal layers of affected epithelium in snuff users was found to be statistically significant with a p value of 0.007 and 0.002 respectively. Conclusion: The present study concludes that the proliferative index is high in snuff users as compared to non-users which can be a factor for malignant transformation.