Determination of Intracellular Iron in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Using Perl’s Prussian Blue Iron Stain

Abstract

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has a 50% 5-year survival rate which depends on several factors including micronutrients such as iron. Further, iron not only has profound effects on the growth and development of OSCC but also can influence the progression and prognosis of OSCC an important role in the progression of OSCC. In the study, FFPE (formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded) OSCC tissue segment samples were examined for the presence of intracellular iron. From the archives, previously diagnosed FFPE were retrieved, and 3-micron tissue sections were made. The tissue section is then subsequently stained with Perl's Prussian blue stain. A trained pathologist evaluated and interpreted the stained tissue section. Histopathological analysis showed scarce iron deposits within OSCC cells after staining with Perl’s Prussian blue stain which showed the blue-colored deposits with the tissue cells. There is the presence of small traces of intracellular iron in OSCC which supports the view that iron might play a role in OSCC growth and proliferation. Determining intracellular iron using Perl Prussian blue stain is a convenient and inexpensive method to determine the outcome of the treatment of the cases with OSCC.