From Dysplasia to Carcinoma: Expression Patterns of Dermokine, Matriptase, and Tryptase in OPMD.

Background: The malignant transformation of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) lacks reliable molecular markers. Dermokine and matriptase are involved in epithelial differentiation and inflammation, while tryptase is associated with the tumor microenvironment, which may contribute to carcinogenesis. This study investigated these molecules as potential biomarkers for predicting the malignant progression of OPMDs.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional comparative study. Paired normal oral mucosa (NM) and OPMD tissues (n = 21) were assessed, while oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OOSCC) samples (n = 64) were evaluated using tissue microarrays. Proteomic analysis of five OPMD cases identified dermokine, tryptase, and matriptase as potential biomarkers, further examined through clinical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical analyses across NM, OPMD, and OOSCC tissues.

Results: Females comprised 52% of the OPMD group, whereas males accounted for 87.5% of OOSCC cases. Dermokine, tryptase, and matriptase showed higher expression in OPMD and OOSCC than NM. Dermokine was predominantly observed in OPMD, well-differentiated OOSCC, and NM from patients who progressed to malignancy (p = 0.019). Matriptase expression shifted from membranous in NM to diffuse in OPMD and OOSCC, similarly to tryptase.

Conclusion: Dermokine may represent an early marker of transformation, while altered matriptase patterns could help differentiate dysplasia from carcinoma.