Abstract
Introduction Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Despite advances in research and treatment, the survival rate of OSCC patients has not changed considerably in recent years. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a proinflammatory cytokine that is involved in the development of various cancers including OSCC. The role of IL-6 is being studied in various cancers; however, its exact mechanism of action in OSCC among the South Indian population has not yet been studied. Thus, the current study aims to evaluate and assess the impact of IL-6 on OSCC among the South Indian population. Materials and methods Twenty tissues from OSCC patients and 20 normal tissues surrounding the same area from normal people were gathered from the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital. The tissues were prepared for expression investigations and hematoxylin and eosin staining. The data was presented as mean ± standard deviation, with statistical significance at p<0.05. Results Our results indicate that, in comparison to normal tissues, OSCC samples had increased IL-6 expression levels (p<0.05). Conclusion We conclude that IL-6 has been identified as a key oncogene in the development of tumors and their spread in several types of cancers, including OSCC. Therefore, IL-6 can be used as a potential diagnostic or prognostic biomarker and the use of IL-6 inhibitors can be formulated as a potential treatment for OSCC.