Acta Scientific Otolaryngology (ISSN: 2582-5550) Volume 3 Issue 10 October 2021 Comparison of Distribution of Mast Cells in Leukoplakia and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma - A Retrospective Study Himani-Tiwari Chaturvedi 1 * and Vandana Shah 2 1 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Faculty of Dental Sciences, Dharmsinh Desai University, Nadiad, India 2 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, K M Shah Dental College, SVU, Piparia, India *Corresponding Author: Himani Tiwari Chaturvedi, A1/57, Darshanam Greens, BH Baroda Public School, Near Nathdwara Residency, Dabhoi Waghodia Ring Road, Vadodara 390 019, Gujarat, India. E-mail: himanicsc@gmail.com Research Article Received: September 15, 2021 Published: September 27, 2021 © All rights are reserved by Himani-Tiwari Chaturvedi and Vandana Shah Abstract Oral leukoplakia and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) are the commonly occurring oral diseases, with characteristic clinical and histological features. These diseases at some stages are associated with chronic inflammation in adjacent connective tissue. Mast cells are granule-containing secretory cells which are local residents of the connective, scattered along the capillaries of oral mucosa. They are proinflammatory and expressed the serine proteases, tryptase and chymase along with cytokines and may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of oral diseases. The aim of the study was to histologically evaluate and compare the presence of mast cells in Normal mucosa, Leukoplakia and Well differentiated oral squamous cell carcinoma. Thirty cases each of normal oral mucosa, oral leukoplakia, and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) were studied for mast cell number using 1% Toluidine blue. There was a lin- ear increase in mast cell numbers were seen in leukoplakia and OSCC as compared to normal mucosa. Mast cell hyperplasia in oral leukoplakia and OSCC suggests their probable role in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Keywords: Mast Cells; Oral Submucous Fibrosis; Oral Leukoplakia; Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Abbreviations LT: Leukotriene; TNF: Tumor Necrosis Factor; IL: Interleukin; MMP: Matrix Metalloproteinases Introduction Mast cell was discovered by Paul Ehrlich (1877), who termed it Mast Zellen i.e. fattened or well-fed cells [1]. Mast cells are key effector cell in allergic diseases, but it has become apparent that they also contribute to other pathologies, including autoimmune diseases and cancer. Mast cells secrete a wide range of proangio- genic, proinflammatory, immune-modulatory and mitogenic cyto- kines. Mast cells are large connective tissue cells (diameter-10 - 15 microns), with a life span of weeks to months, scattered along the capillaries, containing numerous basophilic granules in their cyto- plasm. Mast cells release preformed secretory mediators like hista- mine, heparin, tryptase; lipid derived mediators like leukotrienes B4 (LTB4), LTC4, LTD4 and LTE4; pro-inflammatory cytokines like TNF-alpha, IL-1; mitogenic cytokines: IL-3, IL-5 and immunomodu- latory cytokines like IL-4, IL-10 [2,3]. The commonly occurring oral diseases like oral leukoplakia, submucous fibrosis, lichen planus, squamous cell carcinoma have chronic inflammation in common it is probable that mast cells play key role in mediating the cross talks Citation: Himani-Tiwari Chaturvedi and Vandana Shah. “Comparison of Distribution of Mast Cells in Leukoplakia and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma - A Retrospective Study". Acta Scientific Otolaryngology 3.10 (2021): 75-79.