Dynamics of Kirsten Ras and isoforms of protein kinasis in the progression of oral potentially malignant to malignant lesions

Oral premalignant lesions and oral squamous cell carcinoma are significant health problems influenced by different predisposing factors and genetic alterations .The clinical and histological features alone cannot accurately predict whether potentially premalignant lesions of the oral mucosa will remain stable, regress or progress to malignancy. Methodology included extraction of RNA from paraffin embedded tissue samples, RT-PCR followed by PCR in 53 biopsy specimens of premalignant and malignant lesions. Results of this study indicate that Akt levels show a continuous rise from pre-malignant lesions to grade II. [Akt1: Premalignant lesions 0.06 + 0.01 and in moderately differentiated Grade II OSCC 0.12 + 0.03; Akt2: Premalignant lesions 0.03 +0.00 and moderately differentiated Grade II OSCC 0.13 + 0.03 and Akt3: Premalignant lesions 0.02 +0.00 and moderately differentiated Grade II OSCC 0.06 + 0.01. KRas expression also increases as the grade of the cancer increases [premalignant lesions 0.02 +0.02 and Grade II OSCC 0.17 +0.01]. Blocking these genes at the level of premalignant lesions may help to decrease the chances of progression into oral squamous cell carcinoma