Comparative Evaluation Of Tenascin-C Expression In Oral Submucous Fibrosis And Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: An Immunohistochemical Study.

Abstract:  An extracellular matrix glycoprotein Tenascin, plays a physiological role in intercellular and cell-extracellular matrix communication. Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) accounts for the majority of tumors in the oral cavity and histopathologically characterized by break in basement membrane, malignant cells loss intercellular adhesion become mobile and invade underlying connective tissue stroma resulting in Epithelial Meshenchymal Interaction (EMI). Most of the OSCCs are preceded by Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders like Oral Submucous Fibrosis (OSMF). OSMF is a connective tissue disorder compromising extracellular matrix and thinning of overling epithelium. Thus the study is being conducted to evaluate the expression of Tenascin in OSMF and OSCC through an Immunohistochemical staining.