Expression of High Mobility Group A Proteins in Oral Leukoplakia

Background: Oral leukoplakia (LPL) is considered a potentially malignant disorder in the oral cavity and the gastric tract. High mobility group A (HMGA) proteins are important in the transformation of normal cells into cancer cells, but there is a lack of knowledge on their importance in oral cancer development. The aim of the current project was to investigate HMGA expression in LPLs with different levels of dysplasia. Materials and Methods: Biopsies were histologically processed to visualize the expression of HMGA1 and HMGA2 using immunohistochemistry. Results: An increase of HMGA1-positive cells correlating to the degree of dysplasia was registered in the epithelium and in the connective tissue. HMGA2 expression was seen in the epithelium and in the connective tissue but with no obvious correlation to the level of dysplasia. Conclusion: This is, to our knowledge, the first study showing the expression of HMGA proteins in healthy and non-healthy oral mucosa. Leukoplakias (LPLs) are pre-malignant mucosal lesions, out of which 5% develop into oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) (1). LPLs in the oral mucosa are a clinical challenge since there