Background. Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF), a precancerous condition, is characterized by abnormal accumulation of collagen fibers in oral submucosa. Vimentin is a Class 2 intermediate filament (IF) and primarily expressed in cells of mesenchymal origin. Vimentin is also found to be involved in cell growth, cell cycling, and tumour differentiation. Objective. The purpose of the study was to compare the expression of vimentin in various histological grades of OSF. Materials and Methods. To assess the immunohistochemical expression of vimentin in 20 mild cases of OSF, 20 severe cases of OSF, and ten cases of normal oral buccal mucosa. Results. The overall staining intensity of vimentin significantly increased statistically ( ) in OSF cases over normal control. A significant increase in the staining intensity of vimentin was also noted in the fibroblasts of severe cases of OSF ( ). Conclusion. Considering the marked vimentin expression in the present study, future studies should include cytoskeleton IF and other filaments in the fibroblasts of OSF. 1. Introduction The areca nut (AN), popularly known as “betel nut,” is one of the oldest known masticatories among Indians and it is estimated that around 600 million people around the world use AN [1]. The oral health consequences of chewing AN are varied. Among its many effects on oral structures, of significance is the development of oral submucous fibrosis (OSF)—a potentially malignant condition [2]. OSF is characterized by abnormal accumulation of collagen fibers in oral submucosa. Experimental studies have shown that ethanolic extracts of the AN stimulate collagen synthesis in human dermal fibroblasts [3]. AN extracts may also stabilize collagen fibrils and render them resistant to degradation. In comparison with normal fibroblasts, OSF fibroblasts synthesized larger amounts of collagen; they have higher procollagen mRNA levels; and they produce type I collagen trimer, which is resistant to degradation [4]. To date, there has been little research exploring the possible effects of arecoline on the cytoskeleton components [5, 6]. The vimentin antibody recognizes a 57？kDa IF and labels a variety of mesenchymal cells, including melanocytes, lymph cells, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts [7]. Vimentin expression is significantly enhanced in cell growth, cell cycling, tumor differentiation, and during the process of tumorigenesis [5]. Although OSF is regarded as a precancerous condition, the extent of vimentin expression in human buccal mucosa in the presence of arecoline is not clearly understood. The aim of
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