EVALUATION OF ARGYROPHILIC NUCLEOLAR ORGANIZER REGIONS (AGNORS) IN ORAL CARCINOMAS IN RELATION TO HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS INFECTION AND CYTOKINETICS

The numbers of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) were quantified in oral carcinomas (n = 39) with or without human papilloma virus (HPV) infection. The AgNOR counts of the HPV-positive samples (7 .15+/-2.13) were not significantly (P=0.09) higher than those of the H PV-negative ones (6.16+/-1.89). Furthermore, the lesions infected with multiple HPV types had greater counts than those with HPV type 16/18 infection alone, Significant differences were observed between the mea n counts of the poorly (10.50+/-0.54), moderately (7.31+/-1.07) and we ll- (5.12+/-0.85) differentiated carcinomas. The mean AgNOR numbers in the oral carcinomas at TNM stages III/IV were found to be significant ly (P<0.01) higher than the numbers in corresponding stage n lesions. Cytokinetics of the lesions assessed by the bromodeoxyuridine (Brdu) l abelling index (LI%) showed a linear correlation (r=0.91; P<0.0001) wi th their respective mean AgNOR counts.