الفهرس 
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Abstract
The diagnostic and the prognostic value of three tumour markers (beta-2-microglobulin, blood group antigen H type 2 chain and Ca antigen) were investigated in the hope that by immunohistochemical techniques specific antigenic alterations of the malignant cells in oral squamous cell carcinoma can be revealed. If a marker could be found in carcinoma and not in benign lesions (non-precancerous) it might be of considerable value for identifying similar alterations in the truly pre malignant stage, thus providing an objective means for the diagnosis. These techniques being relatively new in diagnostic pathology needed to be evaluated by comparison with a more established method such as the assessment of epithelial dysplasia. In order to minimize the subjective element in such morphological examinations, attempts were made to employ quantitative methods with the aid of an image analysis system (1BPS-i).
Certain features of epithelial dysplasia are, however, too complex to be measured morphometrically and it was only possible to assess these subjectively by using standard photographs for reference. Immunohjstochemical studies In 28 specimens of oral squamous cell carcinomas, marked reduction of beta-2-microglobulin was found. This reduction was significant compared with 30 benign lesions. Whereas the normal and benign epithelial cells showed cell membrane staining, the carcinoma cells tended to show cytoplasmic staining whose intensity, however, was equivocal in the majority of cases; only four showed a strong staining. If a suitable means of quantification was available for such a staining, it might prove of cjiagnostic value for oral squamous cell carcinoma. The relative loss of beta-2-microglobulin from the epithelial cell surfaces of the benign lesions indicates that its loss is a non-specific tumour marker.
However, its marked loss in squamous