To evaluate IL-1β and IL-8 epithelial expression in oral premalignant lesions as predictive biomarkers for cancer development. The study examined a total of around 55 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue specimens, which included 15 samples each of oral lichen planus (OLP), oral leukoplakia, and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), along with 10 samples of healthy oral mucosa as controls. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect IL-1β and IL-8 protein expression using a rabbit polyclonal anti-human IL-1β antibody (sc-7884, H-153; Santa Cruz Biotechnology) and a monoclonal anti-human IL-8 antibody (ab7747; Abcam). Differences in the count of immunostained positive cells across groups were statistically evaluated with the unpaired Student’s t-test, and a p-value below 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. Both IL-1β and IL-8 were detected in the nuclei and cytoplasm of keratinocytes across all study groups. Despite this, all lesion types exhibited a significant reduction in staining intensity compared to normal oral mucosa for both cytokines. Additionally, IL-8 expression differed significantly between oral lichen planus (OLP) and leukoplakia, as well as between these lesions and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Epithelial levels of IL-1β and IL-8 in the oral mucosa appear to decline as the risk of malignant transformation rises.
