Evaluation of HER2/neu expression in normal mucosa, dysplastic epithelium and oral squamous cell carcinoma with immunohistochemistry method

Abstract

HER2/neu is a protooncogene with similarity to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Overexpression of this protooncogene has been accompanied with many malignancies including oral cancers. Despite the presence of some supporting studies, there are still many others that deny such association between HER2/neu and oral carcinomas. This study sought to investigate a possible connection between HER2/neu overexpression and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Materials and methods: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was employed to detect HER2/neu expression in normal oral mucosa (NL, n=18), oral precancerous lesions of epithelial dysplasia (ED, n=7), and OSCC (n= 12) in this analytic-descriptive study carried out in Tabriz Imam Reza Teaching centre. Results: The three groups were comparable in terms of their participantsE age and sex (p<0.05). HER2/neu immunoreactivity was of grade 0, 1+, 2+ and 3+ in 8 (44.4%), 1 (5.6%), 4 (22.2%), and 5 (27.8%) of cases in NL group, respectively. The corresponding results were observed in 3 (42.9%), 1 (14.3%), 3 (42.9%), and 0 (0%) cases in ED group; and in 8 (66.7%), 2 (16.7%), 1 (8.3%), and 1 (8.3%) patients in OSCC group, respectively. No significant differences were found between NL and ED groups (p=0.55), or between NL and OSCC groups (p=0.12), or between ED and OSCC groups (p=0.31) in terms of the rate of HER2/neu expression. Discussion: The findings of the present work suggest no significant association between HER2/neu expression and OSCC.