Evaluation of superficial oral squamous cell malignancy based on morphometry and immunoexpression of cytokeratin 13 and cytokeratin 17.

OBJECTIVE

Evaluation of combined morphometry and immunoexpression of cytokeratin 13 (CK13) and cytokeratin 17 (CK17) for cytological identification of superficial oral squamous cells.

STUDY

DESIGN

Smears from 11 tongue squamous cell carcinoma patients were processed by liquid-based cytology, stained via the Papanicolaou method and divided into multiple specimens by cell transfer. Morphometric indices, including nuclear area, nuclear perimeter, nuclear circular rate, largest-to-smallest dimension ratio of the nucleus and nucleocytoplasmic ratio, were measured using a computerized analysis system. CK13 and CK17 were detected by immunostaining. Morphometric values were compared between cell populations with distinct staining and immunoexpression patterns.

RESULTS

Most orange G-stained superficial cells were negative for CK13 (99.4%) and CK17 (98.6%). For light green-stained superficial cells, loss of CK13 was associated with greater cellular atypia in the nuclear area, nuclear perimeter and nucleocytoplasmic ratio (p < 0.01), while expression of CK17 was related to higher-grade cellular atypia in the same parameters (p < 0.01) as well as the nuclear circular rate (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Immunoexpression of CK13 and CK17 in light green-stained superficial cells was associated with more severe morphological atypia. Combined morphometry and immunoexpression of CK13 and CK17 might be useful for cytological diagnosis of this cell population.