Immunohistochemical study on alternative expressions of various transcription factors in carcinogenesis of oral mucosa

众所周知，细胞的恶性转化与转录因子的变化有关。本研究以c-fos和c-jun基因的变化为研究对象，对我科现有的几种口腔黏膜病变(癌、癌前病变和正常粘膜)进行福尔马林固定和石蜡包埋。石蜡切片进行c-Fos和c-Jun蛋白免疫组织化学染色，结果表明，c-Fos和c-Jun在正常上皮细胞中表达频率和强度最高，在鳞癌中表达最低。多个癌前病变均不同程度地表现出不同的频度和强度。在鳞癌中，低分化的鳞癌弱于高分化的鳞癌。c-fos和c-jun基因的表达与上皮细胞的角化或分化有关。鉴于上述结果，白斑和扁平苔藓皮损中c-Fos和c-jun的表达降低，提示c-Fos和c-jun有向恶性转化的趋势。

It has been well known that malignant transformation of a cell is concerned in changes of transcription factors. In this work, we aimed at the changes of c-fos and c-jun genes.Several kinds of oral mucosal lesion (cancer, precancer and normal mucosa) obtained from patients, which have been stocked in our department, were fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin. The paraffin sections were immunohistochemically stained for c-Fos and c-Jun proteins.As a result, expression of c-Fos and c-Jun was highest in frequency and intensity in normal epithelial cells and lowest in squamous cell carcinomas. Several precancerous lesions showed various degree of frequency and intensity case by case. Among squamous cell carcinomas, poorly-differentiated ones were weaker than well-differentiated ones.C-fos and c-jun genes have been reported to be expressed in connection with keratinization or differentiation of the epithelial cells. It is considered that decreased expression of these genes means disturbance of cell differentiation and start of malignant transformation.Considering the above results, the lesions of leucoplakia and lichen planus showing decreased expression of c-Fos and c-Jun is considered to have a tendency to transform into malignancy.