ABSTRACT
The study was carried out to determine the frequency of p53 protein expression in oral dysplastic lesions and oral squamous cell carcinoma and to compare them in both the lesions. Sixty cases [30 each] of oral epithelial dysplasia [OED] and oral squamous cell carcinoma [OSCC] were retrieved from the record files along with their paraffin blocks at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi including twenty fresh/frozen sections. The immunohistochemical marker p53 was applied using Streptavidin-Biotin technique. Staining and intensity of the marker was recorded and frequencies were compared in both the lesions. Protein p53 expression was seen in 60% of oral epithelial dysplastic lesions and 67% of oral squamous cell carcinomas. The results signify the importance of p53 for the early diagnosis and early treatment of dysplastic [precancerous] lesions