Table 1.
Clinicopathological characteristics of the oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cases and evaluation of differences in the lymphatic vascular density (LVD) and in the expression of podoplanin in neoplastic cells (both assessed via podoplanin immunostaining), concerning sex, age, tobacco smoking, tumor location and tumor size
| Parameter | n | % | LVD median (min.–max.) |
Podoplanin in neoplastic cells | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative (n) | Positive (n) | ||||
|
Sex (n = 150) |
|||||
| Male | 116 | 77.3% | 8.00 (1.00–26.00) | 20 | 96 |
| Female | 34 | 22.7% | 9.00 (3.00–26.00) | 2 | 32 |
| p value | 0.15a | 0.16b | |||
|
Age (years) (n = 143) |
|||||
| < 60 | 80 | 55.9% | 9.00 (3.00–24.00) | 13 | 67 |
| ≥ 60 | 63 | 44.1% | 8.00 (1.00–26.00) | 9 | 54 |
| p value | 0.11a | 0.81b | |||
|
Tobacco smoking (n = 106) |
|||||
| Current | 61 | 57.5% | 9.00 (3.00–21.00) | 8 | 53 |
| Former | 23 | 21.7% | 8.00 (1.00–25.00) | 2 | 21 |
| Never | 22 | 20.8% | 9.00 (4.00–26.00) | 0 | 22 |
| p value | 0.18c | 0.19d | |||
|
Tumor locatione (n = 150) |
|||||
| Tongue | 64 | 42.7% | 9.00 (2.00–26.00) | 8 | 56 |
| Floor of the mouth | 24 | 16.0% | 8.50 (4.00–19.00) | 8 | 16 |
| Alveolar ridge | 19 | 12.7% | 8.00 (3.00–16.00) | 1 | 18 |
| Lip | 17 | 11.3% | 9.00 (1.00–24.00) | 2 | 15 |
| Other locations | 26 | 17.3% | 8.50 (3.00–25.00) | 3 | 23 |
| p value | 0.87c | 0.07d | |||
|
Tumor size (cm) (n = 120) |
|||||
| ≤ 2 | 54 | 45% | 43.50 (18.00–99.00) | 4 | 50 |
| > 2 and ≤ 4 | 43 | 35.8% | 48.00 (16.00–127.0) | 6 | 37 |
| > 4 | 23 | 19.2% | 48.00 (17.00–119.0) | 4 | 19 |
| p value | 0.39c | 0.38d | |||
The LVD data was showed using median (minimum value–maximum value). The expression of podoplanin in neoplastic cells data were described using absolute number (n). Sex data were accessible in 150 cases, age data in 143 cases, tobacco smoking data in 106 cases, tumor location data in 150 cases and tumor size data in 120 cases. Negative expression of podoplanin: immunostaining in less than 50% of neoplastic cells (i.e., scores of 0 and 1). Positive expression of podoplanin: immunostaining in 50% or more of neoplastic cells (i.e., scores of 2 and 3)
Min. minimum value, Max. maximum value
aThe p value was obtained with the Mann–Whitney test to evaluate differences in the LVD in the following comparisons: Sex (Male versus Female); Age (years) (< 60 versus ≥ 60)
bThe p value was obtained with the Fisher's exact test to evaluate differences in the expression of podoplanin in neoplastic cells in the following comparisons: Sex (Male versus Female); Age (years) (< 60 versus ≥ 60)
cThe p value was obtained with the Kruskal–Wallis test followed by the Dunn’s multiple comparisons test to evaluate differences in the LVD in the following comparisons: Tobacco smoking (Current versus Former versus Never); Tumor location (Tongue versus Floor of the mouth versus Alveolar ridge versus Lip versus Other locations); Tumor size (cm) (≤ 2 versus > 2 and ≤ 4 versus > 4)
dThe p value was obtained with the Chi-square test to evaluate differences in the expression of podoplanin in neoplastic cells in the following comparisons: Tobacco smoking (Current versus Former versus Never); Tumor location (Tongue versus Floor of the mouth versus Alveolar ridge versus Lip versus Other locations); Tumor size (cm) (≤ 2 versus > 2 and ≤ 4 versus > 4)
eSome tumors affected multiple locations. In these cases, only the main location was considered for this evaluation