Zell- und Molekularbiologie

Abstrakt

Comparison of Methylation and Expression Profile of MOB-1A in Blood, Saliva and Tissue of Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) and Precancerous Patients

Hanieh Soleimani, Dor Mohammad Kordi Tamandani, Mohammad Ayoub Rigi Ladiz

Background: Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common form of malignancy of head and neck zone and the sixth most common type of cancer in the world, leading to 8000 death per year. This cancer affects lips, palate and tongue and the average survival rate of patients is 5 years. The most important risk factors of OSCC are alcohol and tobacco and mostly middle aged males are affected. The hippo signaling pathway is a tumor suppressor pathway which regulates tissue growth via balancing cell proliferation, death and differentiation. So, dysregulation of this pathway is the most common feature of solid tumors.

Methods: In this research, methylation status of MOB1A gene promoter in blood and saliva DNA of 20 healthy controls and 20 patients with precancerous lesions of oral cavity as well as 20 tissue DNA and 12 blood and saliva DNA of OSCC patients were compared with each other by methylation-specific PCR technique. Furthermore, expression of MOB1A was conducted on saliva cDNA of 12 healthy controls, 12 patients with precancerous lesions as well as saliva and tissue cDNA of 12 patients with OSCC by real time PCR technique.

Results: Our results showed that, among all of the investigated conditions, there was only one significant difference in the methylation status of MOB1A in precancerous patients' blood and OSCC tissue (P-value: 0.025). Moreover, there was no significant difference in the expression profile of MOB1A in any of the investigated conditions between three groups.

Conclusion: From the significant difference observed in the methylation status of MOB1A in precancerous patients' blood and OSCC tissue, we may be able to conclude that type of the investigated sample (i.e. blood, saliva or tissue) can affect the methylation status of MOB1A gene. Moreover, treating patients with oral cavity disorders in the precancerous stage can help us to find biomarker genes involved in the progress of the disease and prevent these patients from moving toward OSCC.