Increased of Langerhans Cells in Smokeless Tobacco-Associated Oral Mucosal Lesions

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the changes in the number of Langerhans Cells (LC) observed in the epithelium of smokeless tobacco (SLT-induced) lesions. Methods: Microscopic sections from biopsies carried out in the buccal mucosa of twenty patients, who were chronic users of smokeless tobacco (SLT), were utilized. For the control group, twenty non-SLT users of SLT with normal mucosa were selected. The sections were studied with routine coloring and were immunostained for S-100, CD1a, Ki-67 and p63. These data were statistically analyzed by the Student’s t-test to investigate the differences in the expression of immune markers in normal mucosa and in SLT-induced leukoplakia lesions. Results: There was a significant difference in the immunolabeling of all markers between normal mucosa and SLT-induced lesions (p<0.001). The leukoplakia lesions in chronic SLT users demonstrated a significant increase in the number of Langerhans cells and in the absence of epithelial dysplasia. Conclusion: The increase in the number of these cells represents the initial stage of leukoplakia.