In this study, we investigated the expression of CD147 and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) in human samples of an OSF tissue array by immunohistopathology.
Evaluation of transforming growth factor beta1 gene in oral submucous fibrosis induced in Sprague-Dawley rats by injections of areca nut and pan masala (commercial areca nut product) extracts.
Validation employing quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry confirmed upregulation of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), TGFBIp, THBS1, SPP1, and TIG1 and downregulation of bone morphogenic protein 7 (BMP7) in OSF tissues.
These experimental in vitro findings were confirmed using human clinical samples, where we showed that the stroma of OSF contained myofibroblasts and that TGF-β1-dependent Smad signalling was detectable both in keratinocytes and in myofibroblasts.
We found that the genotypes associated with the highest OSF risk for collagen 1A1, collagen 1A2, collagenase-1, transforming growth factor beta1, lysyl oxidase, and cystatin C were CC, AA, TT, CC, AA, and AA, respectively, for the low-exposure group, and TT, BB, AA, CC, GG, and AA, respectively, for the high-exposure group.