Abstract
BackgroundHead and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) represents one of the most commonly diagnosed malignancies worldwide. The DDC gene encodes L-DOPA decarboxylase, an enzyme catalyzing the decarboxylation of L-DOPA to dopamine. We have recently shown that DDC mRNA is a significant predictor of patients’ prognosis in colorectal adenocarcinoma and prostate cancer. The aim of the current study was to analyze the DDC mRNA expression in HNSCC patients.Methods53 malignant tumors were resected from the larynx, pharynx, tongue, buccal mucosa, parotid glands, and nasal cavity, as well as from 34 adjacent non-cancerous tissues of HNSCC patients, and were homogenized. Total RNA was isolated and converted into first-strand cDNA. An ultrasensitive real-time PCR method based on the SYBR Green chemistry was used for DDC mRNA quantification in head and neck tissue specimens. Relative quantification was performed using the comparative Ct (2-ddCt) method.ResultsDDC mRNA levels were lower in squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of the larynx and tongue than in adjacent non-cancerous tissue specimens. Furthermore, low DDC mRNA expression was noticed in laryngeal and tongue tumors of advanced TNM stage or bigger size, compared to early-stage or smaller tumors, respectively. No statistically significant differences were observed between SCCs resected from pharynx, buccal mucosa, or nasal cavity, and their normal counterparts.ConclusionThis is the first study examining the DDC mRNA expression in HNSCC. According to our results, DDC mRNA expression may constitute a potential prognostic biomarker in tongue and/or larynx SCCs, which principally represent the overwhelming majority of HNSCC cases.
Highlights
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) represents one of the most commonly diagnosed malignancies worldwide
Both prerequisites were tested in a validation experiment, in which the Ct values of DOPA decarboxylase (DDC) and Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) DNA complementary to RNA (cDNA) amplification were determined in a dilution series of Caco-2 cDNA over a 104-fold range and plotted against the log cDNA dilution
Other factors which enhance the possibility of developing such tumors are the family history of the disease, which is indicative of genetic predisposition, virus infections such as Human papillomavirus (HPV), EBV (Epstein-Barr virus), HSV (Herpes simplex virus) and Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), as well as an unhealthy diet and exposure to carcinogens on a permanent base, e.g. an unsanitary professional environment [3]
Summary
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) represents one of the most commonly diagnosed malignancies worldwide. The most usual malignancies developed in the head and neck area fall into the category of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) [1]. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) holds a remarkable position among the causes leading to death in the developed world [2]. This disease is endemic to Southern China and Southeast Asian countries, whereas its incidence is HNSCC includes a great variety of tumors originating from epithelial cells lining different sites of the head and neck region. The discovery and prospective evaluation of novel molecular biomarkers constitute a big challenge for the scientific community [7]
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