Terán-Figueroa Yolanda, Lemus-Rojero Obed, Ochoa-Martínez Ángeles Catalina, Alcántara-Quintana Luz Eugenia, Pérez-Maldonado Iván N, Patiño-Marín Nuria, Alegría-Torres Jorge Alejandro
Facultad de Enfermería Y Nutrición, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, México.
Unidad Académica de Odontología, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Zacatecas, México.
J Int Soc Prev Community Dent. 2025 Aug 22;15(4):374-381. doi: 10.4103/jispcd.jispcd_42_25. eCollection 2025 Jul-Aug.
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a prevalent malignancy with poor survival outcomes, particularly in regions with high tobacco use and less early detection. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) such as miR-21 and miR-155 have been implicated in tumor progression and viral oncogenesis. This study aimed to evaluate the expressions of miR-21 and miR-155 in OSCC tissues and their association with histological differentiation and HPV infection in a Mexican population.
This retrospective cross-sectional study included 30 OSCC cases and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy oral tissue controls. Total RNA was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples, and miR-21 and miR-155 levels were quantified using RT-qPCR. HPV genotyping (types 16 and 18) was performed via endpoint PCR. Statistical analysis included Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Fisher's exact test. Effect sizes were calculated using Glass's delta, and a significance level of < 0.05 was applied.
MiR-21 and miR-155 were significantly upregulated in OSCC tissues compared to controls ( < 0.001 for both), with large effect sizes (Glass's = 3.78 and 2.63, respectively). No significant association was found between miRNA expression levels and tumor differentiation grade ( > 0.05). HPV was detected in 26.6% of OSCC samples, with HPV-16 being the most frequent subtype. A significant association was observed between HPV positivity and tobacco use ( = 0.002), but not with miRNA expression levels.
The overexpression of miR-21 and miR-155 in OSCC supports their potential as diagnostic biomarkers in oral cancer. While their levels were not significantly associated with tumor grade or HPV status, their consistent elevation in malignant tissues warrants further investigation into their mechanistic role in OSCC pathogenesis and their applicability in biomarker panels for early detection, especially in Latin American populations.
口腔鳞状细胞癌（OSCC）是一种常见的恶性肿瘤，生存结局较差，尤其是在烟草使用率高且早期检测较少的地区。诸如miR-21和miR-155等微小RNA（miRNA）已被证明与肿瘤进展和病毒致癌作用有关。本研究旨在评估miR-21和miR-155在墨西哥人群OSCC组织中的表达及其与组织学分化和HPV感染的关系。
这项回顾性横断面研究纳入了30例OSCC病例以及30例年龄和性别匹配的健康口腔组织对照。从福尔马林固定石蜡包埋的组织样本中提取总RNA，并使用RT-qPCR对miR-21和miR-155水平进行定量。通过终点PCR进行HPV基因分型（16型和18型）。统计分析包括Mann-Whitney检验、Kruskal-Wallis检验和Fisher精确检验。使用Glass's delta计算效应量，并采用显著性水平<0.05。
与对照组相比，OSCC组织中miR-21和miR-155显著上调（两者均<0.001），效应量较大（Glass's delta分别为3.78和2.63）。未发现miRNA表达水平与肿瘤分化程度之间存在显著关联（>0.05）。在26.6%的OSCC样本中检测到HPV，其中HPV-16是最常见的亚型。观察到HPV阳性与烟草使用之间存在显著关联（=0.002），但与miRNA表达水平无关。
miR-21和miR-155在OSCC中的过表达支持了它们作为口腔癌诊断生物标志物的潜力。虽然它们的水平与肿瘤分级或HPV状态无显著关联，但它们在恶性组织中的持续升高值得进一步研究它们在OSCC发病机制中的作用机制以及它们在早期检测生物标志物组合中的适用性，尤其是在拉丁美洲人群中。
