ASSESSING S100A7 AS A DIAGNOSTIC BIOMARKER IN ORAL CANCER PATIENTS

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a worldwide issue, and its outlook is poor if detected
late. At present, most diagnosis depends on examining tissues, which can be unreliable because different
experts may see things differently. Scientists suggest that S100A7, a calcium – binding protein, may be used
to identify different malignancies. The meaning of S100A7 expression in distinguishing healthy oral glands,
OPMDs, and OSCC was investigated in this study.
Material and Methods: Retrospective analyses were made on tissue samples taken from 245 individuals:
89 with OSCC, 78 with OPMD, and 78 people who had normal oral mucosa. Immunohistochemical staining
for S100A7 was carried out according to standardized steps. We looked not only at how much the cells
stained, but also how many cells were stained for each marker. Data was analyzed with chi – square tests,
ROC curves, and multivariate logistic regression.
Results: The S100A7 gene was actively expressed in 84.3% of OSCC samples, 61.5% of OPMDs, and 12.8%
of normal skin tissues (p<0.001). In 76.4% of OSCC cases, there was strong S100A7 staining, but only
23.1% of OPMD cases showed this pattern. The ROC curve covered 84.2% for the purpose of telling OSCC
apart from OPMDs. Nuclear and cytoplasmic S100A7 levels were strongly linked to tumor grade and lymph
node metastasis (p<0.05).
Conclusion: This biomarker has valuable use for finding oral cancer and grouping patients by their risk
levels. Because CEA is expressed at higher levels in cancerous tissues and is linked to worse tumor signs,
it is useful in both reviewing and planning treatments for patients with oral cancer.