Increased expression of CK8 and CK18 in leukoplakia, oral submucous fibrosis, and oral squamous cell carcinoma: an immunohistochemistry study.

Objective: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) may be preceded by potentially malignant disorders such as leukoplakia and oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) and has a greater than normal risk of malignant transformation. Very little is known of cytokeratin (CK) alterations in OSF, leukoplakia, and OSCC. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the expression of CK8 and CK18 in normal oral mucosa, oral epithelial dysplasia, OSF, and OSCC by immunohistochemistry.