Serpin B5 as a Potential Biomarker for the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Objective Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a common malignancy of the head and neck region and remains to have relatively poor survival rates. Preliminary recognition of OSCC remains challenging as many patients remain asymptomatic until advanced stages, emphasizing the importance of earlier detection and accurate diagnosis. Existing diagnostic tools rely heavily on histological morphology, which has considerable variability among examiners. Serpin B5 is a serine protease inhibitor involved in vital cellular processes, including proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of malignant cells. We aimed to objectively document the expression trends in Serpin B5 in oral cancer as they relate to critical clinicopathological indicators. Study design Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to detect Serpin B5 in the normal oral mucosa and in OSCC samples representing various clinical stages and histopathological grades. Computer-assisted analysis of IHC images was performed to consistently and objectively measure the relative abundance of Serpin B5. Results Serpin B5 expression analysis revealed a notable increase in OSCC tissues compared to normal oral mucosa. Furthermore, Serpin B5 expression showed significant correlations with the nodal status, clinical staging, and histopathological grading of OSCC. Conclusion This study documented the differential expression of Serpin B5 between normal oral mucosa and oral cancer specimens. Additionally, we found Serpin B5 expression to be significantly correlated with the histopathological grade, clinical stage, and nodal status of OSCC. The findings of this study underscore the potential application of Serpin B5 expression as a supplementary tool to aid in the diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of disease progression in oral cancer patients.