OBJECTIVETo investigate the transmutation and significance of integrin-linked kinase (ILK) in oral leukoplakia and early invasive squamous cell carcinoma.

METHODSImmunohistochemistry accompanied with periodic acid Schiff reaction (PAS) histochemistry was applied to detect the expression of ILK in 19 normal oral mucosa, 43 simple hyperplasia, 84 epithelial dysplasia, 54 early invasive carcinoma.

RESULTSAmong the oral leukoplakia and early invasive squamous cell carcinoma, dramatic positive expression of ILK was found in 163/181 (90%), but was negative in normal mucosa. ILK staining in stroma exhibited a significantly direct correlation with the exacerbated epithelial dysplasia (chi(2) = 41.585, P < 0.001). Along with the oral carcinogenesis, there was an obvious tendency of change-overed ILK staining from superfacial to the basal orientation, the stratum basale diverted into positive, and compared with scattering in cytoplasm, the location of ILK was prone to cytomembrane in epithelium. In severe dysplasia and carcinoma in situ, there was a positive correlation between the basal layer and stroma expression of ILK (P = 0.029). It was not only a weaker tincture of ILK in cancer nest than lesional epithelia, but also an augmentation of stroma staining in early invasive squamous cell carcinoma [76% (41/54)] by contrast with severe dysplasia [45% (18/40)].

CONCLUSIONSThe pivotal role of ILK in the regulation of oral carcinogenesis is considerable, however, the precise mechanisms through which ILK affects cellular processes remain to be fully characterized.