Oral squamous cell carcinoma from users and nonusers of tobacco and alcohol: clinicopathologic features and immunoreactivity of VEGF, caspase-3, and p53.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to compare the clinicopathologic characteristics and immunoreactivity of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), caspase-3, and p53 between oral squamous cell carcinomas from users and nonusers of tobacco and alcohol.

Design: We randomly selected 90 specimens of oral carcinomas, from patients diagnosed between 1991 and 2011 in Oral Medicine Division. The specimens were distributed into 3 groups according to exposure to risk factors: 30 specimens from smokers, 30 from smokers/alcohol drinkers, and 30 from individuals not exposed to these factors. The clinicopathologic characteristics of the lesions were evaluated and the proteins VEGF, caspase-3, and p53 were detected by immunohistochemistry.

Results: The group of nonsmokers/nonalcohol drinkers consisted mainly of women (P≤0.001), with a higher mean age (P=0.004). The group of smokers/alcohol drinkers exhibited larger tumors when compared with patients not exposed to smoking and alcohol (P=0.004). The histopathologic grading also differed between these groups (P=0.040), because a greater number of grade I lesions and fewer grade III lesions were found in patients who were nonsmokers/nonalcohol drinkers. No significant difference was observed in relation to immunoreactivity of VEGF (P=0.315), caspase-3 (P=0.860), and p53 (P=0.876) between the groups.

Conclusions: There are substantial clinicopathologic differences between oral carcinomas in users and nonusers of tobacco and alcohol. Immunodetection of the proteins VEGF, caspase-3, and p53 is not influenced by smoking or alcohol consumption, suggesting that other molecular mechanisms are associated with the biological aggressiveness of oral carcinoma in patients exposed to these risk factors.