Clinicopathological and prognostic implications of genetic alterations in oral cancers

Abstract

This study evaluated the clinicopathological and prognostic implications of genetic alterations characterizing oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC). Comparative genomic hybridization(CGH) was used to identify chromosomal alterations present in primary OSCCs obtained from 97 pateints. In this population, tobacco use was a significant risk factor for OSCC. By contrast, all 97 of our samples are negative for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA integration, which is another known risk factor for OSCC in certain populations. Results of the Fisher’s exact test followed by Benjamini-Hochberg correction for multiple testing, showed a correlation of 7p gain and 8p loss with node-positive OSCC (p≤0.04 for both genetic alterations) and association of 11q13 gain with high-grade OSCC (p≤0.05). Univariate Cox-proportional hazard models, also corrected for multiple testing, showed significant association of 11q13 gain and 18q loss with decreased survival (p≤0.05). These findings were supported by multivariate analysis which revealed that 11q13 gain and 18q loss together serve as a strong bivariate predictor of poor prognosis. In conclusion, our study has identified genetic alterations that correlate significantly with nodal status, grade, and poor survival status of OSCC. These potential biomarkers may aid the current TNM system for better prediction of clinical outcome.

Amplification of the PPFIA1 gene region on 11q13 in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC)

“…Some studies described a reduced overall survival of HNSCC patients associated with high-level PPFIA1 amplification (Akervall et al, 1995;Ashman et al, 2003;Bockmuhl et al, 2000;Pathare et al, 2011;Wreesmann et al, 2004). We did not observe such correlation in the present study.…”

MicroRNA-125a Reduces Proliferation and Invasion of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells by Targeting Estrogen-related Receptor α

“…According to GLOBOCAN 2008, the incidence of OSCC in India is 69,820 cases annually. However, despite many advances in its treatment, there are still many lacunae in the existing treatment strategies as a result of which the 5-year survival rate of OSCC has remained unchanged during the last few decades (26). It is thus imperative to identify novel therapeutic targets for OSCC.…”

No role for human papillomavirus infection in oral cancers in a region in southern India

“…The reported HPV prevalence in oral cancers in India varied from 0 to 100% in studies using biopsies in cases and PCR assay for HPV detection and genotyping. [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] For the studies using a methodology similar to ours (oral brushing to collect epithelial cells instead of biopsy, combined with PCR for detection and genotyping), the prevalence reported for oral cancer cases was 31.5 26 and 32.4%. 15 Our results are in agreement with two studies conducted in Gujarat and Mumbai in West India, which reported a null prevalence of HPV in oral cancer using biopsies (in one of the studies, only HPV-16 and 18 were tested).…”

“…15 Our results are in agreement with two studies conducted in Gujarat and Mumbai in West India, which reported a null prevalence of HPV in oral cancer using biopsies (in one of the studies, only HPV-16 and 18 were tested). 27,28 However, considering the fact that only two previous studies showed a null prevalence in oral cancer in India, we explored other explanations for these results.…”

“…12 One-on-one semistructured interviews using a questionnaire and life grid technique, which has been shown to improve recall, 13 were conducted by three professionally trained dentists. Data collected included sociodemographic information, religious beliefs, environmental variables and sexual behavior including age at first sexual intercourse, number of sexual partners and oral sex practice frequency during three different life stages ( 16,(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30) and >30 years).…”