Abstract
BACKGROUND: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) accounts for over 90% of oral cavity malignancies, with the high mortality and limited therapeutic success due to challenges in early diagnosis. Periostin, a matricellular protein, is implicated in cancer progression, making it a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target. This study examines periostin expression in normal tissues, potentially premalignant oral epithelial lesions (PPOEL), and OSCC. AIM: To evaluate and compare periostin expression in normal tissues, PPOEL, and OSCC stage I/stage II and stage III/IV using quantitative Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This ex vivo comparative study included 80 subjects divided into four groups (20 per group): healthy controls, PPOEL, OSCC Stage I/II, and OSCC Stage III/IV. Ethical clearance and informed consent were obtained. Peripheral blood samples were processed for RNA extraction, quantified using Nanodrop spectrophotometry, and analysed via qRT-PCR for periostin and GAPDH (housekeeping gene). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Data normalcy was tested using the Shapiro-Wilk test. Parametric (ANOVA, post-hoc Bonferroni) and non-parametric (Mann-Whitney, Wilcoxon) tests were applied depending on data distribution. SPSS version 21 was used for analysis. RESULTS: Periostin expression increased progressively from normal tissues to PPOEL, OSCC Stage I/II, and OSCC Stage III/IV. Significant differences in ΔΔCT and fold change values were observed between normal and OSCC stages, with advanced OSCC showing the highest periostin expression. However, differences between normal and PPOEL were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Periostin expression correlates with OSCC progression, highlighting its potential as a biomarker for early diagnosis and as a therapeutic target. Further large-scale studies are required to validate these findings.