Objectives: To explore and analyze the feasibility of using indocyanine green (ICG) near-infrared fluorescence (NIF) imaging technology for the early diagnosis of oral potential malignant disorders and oral squamous cell carcinoma.
Methods: 7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene in acetone solution was used to induce various pathological models of buccal mucosal lesions (mild/moderate dysplasia, severe dysplasia, squamous cell carcinoma) in golden hamster. ICG-NIF was conducted for the quantitative analysis of the fluorescence signal of lesion tissue, and evaluation of the diagnostic and discriminative capabilities of the ICG-NIF technology for mucosal lesions in various pathological states. Immunohistochemical staining was perform to examine the microvessel density (MVD) and microlymphatic vessel density (MLVD) of mucosa in various pathological states and explore the histological reasons underlying the differences in fluorescence signals.
Results: The results of ICG-NIF fluorescence quantitative analysis reveal the higher fluorescence intensity of mucosal lesions in the experimental group compared with that of the normal mucosa on the control side, with statistical differences (P<0.05). Moreover, the more severe the malignancy of mucosal lesions in the experimental group, the higher the fluorescence intensity. According to histopathological analysis, the malignant progression of mucosal lesions in golden hamsters was accompanied with an increase in MVD (P<0.05) and a decrease in MLVD (P<0.05).
Conclusions: The abnormal proliferation of mucosal lesions in golden hamsters exhibits a difference in ICG-NIF fluorescence signal compared with normal mucosal tissue. Fluorescence quantitative analysis methods can provide assistance in differentiation and show potential for clinical applications.
目的: 探讨分析吲哚菁绿（ICG）近红外荧光（NIF）成像技术对口腔潜在恶性疾患及口腔鳞状细胞癌早期诊断的可行性。方法: 利用二甲基苯并蒽丙酮溶液，给予金黄地鼠颊囊黏膜不同时间的局部刺激，诱导建立轻/中度异常增生、重度异常增生、鳞状细胞癌等病理状态的颊黏膜病变模型。采用ICG-NIF技术对病变组织进行荧光信号定量分析，免疫组织化学染色法对不同病理状态黏膜的微血管密度（MVD）、微淋巴管密度（MLVD）进行分析。结果: ICG-NIF荧光定量分析结果显示，实验组中黏膜病变组织的荧光强度均高于正常黏膜，差异具有统计学意义（P<0.05），且实验组中黏膜病变恶性程度越高，其荧光强度越高。组织学分析显示，随着黏膜病变恶性程度增加，MVD增加（P<0.05），MLVD减小（P<0.05）。结论: 金黄地鼠异常增生的颊部黏膜病变与正常黏膜组织间具有ICG-NIF荧光信号差异，荧光定量分析方法具有辅助鉴别的临床应用潜能。.
Keywords: indocyanine green; near-infrared fluorescence imaging; oral potentially malignant disorders; oral squamous cell carcinoma.