CD44 and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: The mean CD44v3 values for HNSCC tumors were elevated 4.5 times (0.43 ± 0.44) compared with the normal tissues (0.10 ± 0.11;p < 0.01).20In an immunohistochemical study conducted by Tamatani et al, CD44 and CD44v9 expressions were strongly detected in all OSCC tissues compared with normal epithelial cells.21Similarly in another study, CD44v6 expression was detected in the membrane of tumor cells in 94% of the OSCC cases (n = 60).22In a comparative study conducted in Africa, CD44 expression was evaluated in the whole unstimulated saliva of patients with oral leukoplakia and OSCC by ELISA.