Abstract
BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis is recognized as a predominant factor for tumor growth and metastasis. Use of biomarkers to target tumor holds a promising treatment strategy and to assess prognosis. OBJECTIVES: To assess angiogenic activity by analyzing CD34 microvascular density (MVD) count in different histologic grades of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty archival samples are categorized in four groups. Immunohistochemical method with anti-CD34 was used for analyzing MVD. RESULTS: The mean count of MVD is higher in OSCC than in normal mucosa and also significant among different histologic grades. Highly significant correlation is observed among different groups of OSCC samples. CONCLUSION: CD34 shows a promising result in OSCC.