Expressão imuno-histoquímica de histona desacetilase 2 na queilite actínica e carcinoma de células escamosas de lábio

Abstract

Actinic cheilitis and squamous cell carcinoma of the lip are diseases caused by prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight. Histone modifications are epigenetic dysregulations associated with cellular processes such as transcription, replication, and genome repair. They are present in pathological processes, especially cancer. In this context, the objective of this study was to analyze the immunohistochemical expression of the enzyme histone deacetylase (HDAC) 2 in actinic cheilitis (AC) and squamous cell carcinoma of the lip (SCC). Thirty-three cases of AK and 32 cases of SCC diagnosed by the Pathology Laboratory of the School of Dentistry of the Federal University of Uberlândia between 1978 and 2025 were evaluated. Demographic data of interest were also collected. The sample underwent histopathological analysis to classify the degree of epithelial dysplasia and the degree of tumor differentiation. HDAC2 was detected in histological sections using immunohistochemical assay. Absence of HDAC2 expression was observed in the basal layer of 18% of AC cases, while all SCC cases were positive. For the other parameters evaluated, there was no statistically significant difference between the AC and SCC groups. In conclusion, the apparent absence of differences between the groups indicates that histone modifications resulting from HDAC2 activity are not relevant in lip carcinogenesis.