In vitro incorporation of tritiated thymidine in oral homogeneous leukoplakias

Abstract

abstract – The rate of cell proliferation in homogeneous leukoplakias was compared with that of normal mucosa. Biopsies from six patients were labeled in vitro with tritiated thymidine and the labeling indices relative to (1) the total cell population, (2) the progenitor compartment, and (3) 100 μm surface length, were determined on autoradiographs. In leukoplakias, cell renewal and mitotic cycles were faster than in the epithelium of controls.