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February 26, 2026

Prevalence and prognostic significance of Helicobacter pylori in oral squamous cell carcinoma- an immunohistochemical study

HSH. N. SinghNational Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research VKVandana KatochUniversity of Dental Medicine OGOmesh GoyalDayanand Medical College & Hospital

Key Points

The study aims to assess the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and determine its prognostic significance.
Analyzed 70 tissue specimens (60 OSCC cases, 10 normal controls)
Conducted immunohistochemical staining using anti-H. pylori antibody
Evaluated associations between H. pylori expression and clinicopathological parameters using Chi-square test
Used Spearman’s correlation coefficient to assess strength and direction of correlations
Helicobacter pylori was absent in normal mucosa but detected in all OSCC samples
Higher H. pylori scores were found in moderately and poorly differentiated carcinomas
A significant association was found between H. pylori colonization and histopathological grade (p=0.033)
Higher H. pylori scores showed a near-significant association with mortality (p=0.094)

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundOral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is among the most prevalent malignancies globally, with established risk factors including tobacco, alcohol, and certain infections. Helicobacter pylori, a recognized class I carcinogen strongly implicated in gastric cancer, has also been detected in oral lesions, raising interest in its possible role in OSCC pathogenesis.Aim and ObjectiveTo assess the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in OSCC and determine its prognostic significance.MethodsThe study analyzed 70 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue specimens, comprising 60 OSCC cases and 10 normal oral mucosa controls. Immunohistochemical staining was carried out using FLEX Polyclonal Rabbit Anti-Human H. pylori antibody. Associations between H. pylori expression and clinicopathological parameters were examined. The association between Helicobacter pylori expression (scores 0–4) and clinicopathological variables was evaluated using the Chi-square test. Strength and direction of correlation were further assessed using Spearman’s correlation coefficient. p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsAmong 70 cases, Helicobacter pylori expression was absent in normal mucosa but consistently detected in OSCC samples, with higher scores observed in moderately and poorly differentiated carcinomas. A statistically significant association was noted between H. pylori colonization and histopathological grade (p=0.033), indicating increasing bacterial density with loss of differentiation. No significant correlations were observed with tumor T, N, M, or overall clinical stage. Prognostic analysis revealed that higher H. pylori scores were more frequently associated with mortality, showing a near-significant trend (p=0.094), whereas no meaningful association was identified with recurrence or disease-free survival.ConclusionTo conclude, Helicobacter pylori colonization was significantly higher in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) than in normal mucosa. Density decreased with increasing histopathological grade but showed no significant association with T, N, M, or clinical stage. Higher bacterial load correlated with recurrence and reduced survival, indicating potential prognostic significance.

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