Chromosomal aberrations and aneuploidy in oral potentially malignant lesions: distinctive features for tongue

Patrizio Castagnola,Sergio Gandolfo,Simona Coco,Gian Paolo Tonini,Alessandra Donadini,Emanuela Di Nallo,Massimo Maffei,Paola Scaruffi,Davide Malacarne,Monica Pentenero,Walter Giaretti

doi:10.1186/1471-2407-11-445

Patrizio Castagnola, Sergio Gandolfo + Show 9 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2407-11-445

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Abstract

BackgroundThe mucosae of the oral cavity are different at the histological level but appear all equally exposed to common genotoxic agents. As a result of this exposure, changes in the mucosal epithelia may develop giving rise to Oral Potentially Malignant Lesions (OPMLs), which with time may in turn progress to Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas (OSCCs). Therefore, much effort should be devoted to identify features able to predict the likeliness of progression associated with an OPML. Such features may be helpful in assisting the clinician to establish both appropriate therapies and follow-up schedules. Here, we report a pilot study that compared the occurrence of DNA aneuploidy and chromosomal copy number aberrations (CNAs) in the OPMLs from different oral anatomical subsites.MethodsSamples from histologically diagnosed OPMLs were processed for high resolution DNA flow cytometry (hr DNA-FCM) in order to determine the relative DNA content expressed by the DNA index (DI). Additionally, array-Comparative Genomic Hybridization (a-CGH) analysis was performed on DNA obtained from diploid nuclei suspensions directly. When aneuploid nuclei were detected, these were physically separated from diploid nuclei on the base of their DI values by means of a DNA-FCM-Sorter in order to improve the a-CGH analysis.ResultsTongue OPMLs were more frequently associated with DNA aneuploidy and CNAs than OPMLs arising from all the other mucosal subsites.ConclusionsWe suggest that the follow-up and the management of the patients with tongue OPMLs should receive a distinctive special attention. Clearly, this hypothesis should be validated in a prospective clinical study.

Highlights

The mucosae of the oral cavity are different at the histological level but appear all exposed to common genotoxic agents
We aimed to explore the relationship among Oral Potentially Malignant Lesions (OPMLs) anatomical subsite, DNA aneuploidy and copy number aberrations (CNAs)
Tongue OPMLs have a higher occurrence of DNA aneuploidy with respect to non-tongue OPMLs In order to evaluate the relationship between DNA aneuploidy and oral mucosa subsites, the patients were subdivided between those having tissue samples from tongue (T patients, n = 21), those having tissue samples from all the other sites (O patients, n = 86) and those having tissue samples from Buccal mucosa (BM patients, n = 64)

Summary

Introduction

The mucosae of the oral cavity are different at the histological level but appear all exposed to common genotoxic agents. As a result of this exposure, changes in the mucosal epithelia may develop giving rise to Oral Potentially Malignant Lesions (OPMLs), which with time may in turn progress to Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas (OSCCs). Much effort should be devoted to identify features able to predict the likeliness of progression associated with an OPML. Such features may be helpful in assisting the clinician to establish both appropriate therapies and follow-up schedules. The role of other agents such as fungi and viruses is recognized including the sexually transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV). This virus, the subjective criteria of classification. It is widely accepted that OPMLs associated with dysplasia deserve a closer clinical follow-up and earlier surgical treatment on the basis of a higher potential of malignant transformation with respect to non dysplastic OPMLs [7]

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