Abstract
BACKGROUND: Glucose is the chief source of energy for cells, and glucose transporter 1 (GLUT-1) is one of the most common glucose transporters in humans. Tumour cells are known to express hypoxia-related protein, and these may allow tumour cells to survive under a sustained hypoxic environment. Surviving cells develop a more aggressive phenotype, which results in poor prognosis. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Expression and comparison of GLUT-1 in normal tissues, potentially malignant disorders (PMDs), and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and comparison of expression in different grades of OSCC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 57 cases (10 normal, 17 PMD, and 30 cases of OSCC) were stained immuno-histochemically with GLUT-1. The expression was scored as 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 for negative, mild, moderate, severe, and intense staining, respectively. RESULTS: GLUT-1 expression was detected in all grades of OSCC. A significant correlation was found on comparing normal and OSCC, normal and PMDs, and PMD and OSCC. The expression of GLUT-1 was significant when compared with different histopathological grades of OSCC. CONCLUSIONS: Expression of GLUT-1 increased from normal to PMDs to increasing grades of OSCC and hence can be used as a prognostic predictive marker for OSCC.