Assessment of the Relationship between Expressions of CD34, p63 with Different Clinical Types of Oral Epithelial Dysplasia: A Retrospective Immunohistochemical Study

Background: Potentially malignant disorders such as leukoplakia and erythroplakia are often associated with dysplastic changes that have an increased risk for malignant transformation. CD34 is considered as an important marker for tissue vascularization, which represents microvessel density. P63 has a role in epithelial proliferation and is frequently altered in dysplasia and associated with tumorigenesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of CD34 and p63 in different grades of oral epithelial dysplasia (OED). Methods and Results: This research included 50 histopathologically confirmed OED. CD34 and P63 expressions were studied by using the immunohistochemical technique. Most OED lesions were observed in patient between 40 and 69 years of age. Buccal mucosa was the most affected site (42%). According to histopathological grades, mild OED was predominant (54%). There was a significant difference among OED grades through the P63 marker. Conclusion: The P63 marker can be considered a good indicator for malignant transformation by grade scoring scales, and the CD34 marker can be used as a useful diagnostic indicator for OED.