Abstract
BACKGROUND: This systematic review aims to shed some light on the expression of the EBV-associated LMP-1 oncoprotein and its association with oral squamous cell carcinoma and potentially malignant oral disorder. METHOD: An extensive literature search was done in databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, ScienceDirect, ProQuest, Cochrane, and Web of Science using the keywords "EBV-associated LMP1 in oral squamous cell carcinoma and oral potentially malignant disorders" for case-controlled studies in English. RESULTS: The extracted data gathered 21 studies with 1,138 OSCC cases and 448 OPMD cases, out of which 9 studies were eligible for the meta-analysis to determine the association between OSCC and LMP-1, with a total of 444 OSCC cases and 313 controls, and 6 studies were eligible for the meta-analysis to find the association between OPMD and LMP-1, with a total of 367 cases of OPMD and 158 cases of control. After gathering and tabulating the data in Microsoft Excel, the JBI tool was used to analyze the bias risk. The pooled data showed a positive association between EBV LMP-1, OSCC, and OPMD. CONCLUSION: The collected data confirm that EBV LMP-1 plays a role in the progression of OSCC and OPMD. Extended research regarding the initiation and progression patterns needs to be further evaluated, which might help in the prognosis.