The Potential MicroRNA Diagnostic Biomarkers in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Tongue

Abstract

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) of the tongue is a common type of head and neck malignancy with a poor prognosis, underscoring the urgency for early detection. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have remarkable stability and are easily measurable. Thus, miRNAs may be a promising biomarker candidate among biomarkers in cancer diagnosis. Biomarkers have the potential to facilitate personalized medicine approaches by guiding treatment decisions and optimizing therapy regimens for individual patients. Utilizing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas, we identified 13 differentially expressed upregulated miRNAs in OSCC of the tongue. Differentially expressed miRNAs were analyzed by enrichment analysis to reveal underlying biological processes, pathways, or functions. Furthermore, we identified miRNAs associated with the progression of OSCC of the tongue, utilizing receiver operating characteristic analysis to evaluate their potential as diagnostic biomarkers. A total of 13 upregulated miRNAs were identified as differentially expressed in OSCC of the tongue. Five of these miRNAs had high diagnostic power. In particular, miR-196b has the potential to serve as one of the most effective diagnostic biomarkers. Then, functional enrichment analysis for the target gene of miR-196b was performed, and a protein–protein interaction network was constructed. This study assessed an effective approach for identifying miRNAs as early diagnostic markers for OSCC of the tongue.