A Study on the Presence of Porphyromonas Gingivalis in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Background - Oral squamous cell carcinoma is the most common cancer of the oral cavity with multifactorial aetiology and tobacco consumption is the main risk factor. Porphyromonas gingivalis is the key periodontal pathogen causing periodontitis affecting the supporting tissue of the teeth. It has been linked to oral cancer development and progression by several in vitro studies but the role is not well defined. Objective- To study the presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis in oral squamous cell carcinoma Materials and Methods - This study included total of 60 tissue samples which consists of 30 samples from oral squamous cell carcinoma and 30 non-cancerous normal tissue samples from oral cavity. The tissue specimens were analysed for the presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis by Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction. Results - Porphyromonas gingivalis was detected in 15 oral squamous cell carcinoma tissue samples. No control tissue specimen was found to be positive for Porphyromonas gingivalis. Conclusion – Present study findings reveal Porphyromonas gingivalis could play a role in the pathogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma