Abstract
Objective This study aimed to determine the correlation between the vascular mast cells and
inflammatory changes in the potentially malignant disorders, compared to the oral
squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in varying degrees of dysplasia.
Materials and Methods Thirty samples were selected: 10 of OSCC, 10 of oral leukoplakia, and 10 of actinic
keratosis. The toluidine blue technique was used on the mast cells, and hematoxylin
and eosin were used for analyzing the lymphocytes, mitosis, and vessels. The quantification
was performed using the ImageJ software after obtaining the images by light microscopy
with a × 40 objective. Analysis of variance with p < 0.05 was considered for statistical significance.
Results Mast cells (p < 0.0158), vessels (p < 0.9431), lymphocytes (p < 0.0001), and mitoses (p < 0.0009) were found in OSCC. In potentially malignant disorders, a lower density
of these structures and a higher concentration of mitosis in the actinic keratosis
were observed.
Conclusion The results showed evidence of a positive correlation between mast cells and vascularization
in the OSCC, suggesting the aggression of the disease. Intense inflammatory infiltrate
indicates that other molecular events are involved in the carcinogenesis process,
and further studies are necessary for a better understanding of it.
Keywords
carcinogenesis - lymphocytes - mast cells - mitosis - vascularization
