Objective To study the expression and clinical significance of survivin, a novel member of inhibitor of apoptosis protein family, in oral lichen planus（OLP） and oral squamous cell carcinoma（OSCC）. Methods Streptavidin-percocidase immunohistochemical technique was used to detect the expression of survivin protein in 40 cases of OSCC, 40 cases of OLP tissues and 26 cases of normal oral mucosa, and its dependability was analyzed. Results The positive expression of survivin was detected in 22 cases of OSCC tissues（55%）, in 12 cases of OLP tissues（30%）, and in 1 case of normal oral mucosa（4%）. The positive rates of survivin expression were significantly higher in OSCC and OLP than the normal oral mucosa（P＜0.05）. Conclusion Survivin gene maybe one of the important factors in the development and progress of OSCC and OLP. Survivin may has relationship with the process of OLP transform to OSCC.
