MIR-24 EXPRESSION IN SALIVA SAMPLES FROM PATIENTS WITH ORAL MALIGNANT LESIONS

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the expression of miR-24 in saliva collected from patients diagnosed with oral cancer. Study Design Plasma and saliva samples were spontaneously collected from 03 healthy donors (controls) and 8 patients with oral cancer. MicroRNA extraction was done using trizol reagent and quantified by spectrophotometry. cDNA was synthesized using the GoScriptT Reverse Transcription kit (PROMEGA). Then, miR-24 expression was analyzed using real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay. β-globin was used as reference gene. Results Seven patients were diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma and 1 with myoepithelial carcinoma. Patients presented single and ulcerated lesions and absence of metastasis. Most of them were men (62.5%) whose average age was 64.5 years. In plasma samples, there were no difference in expression levels between controls and patients samples; however, in saliva, miR-24 showed overexpression (4.0-fold; P < .05) in patients with oral cancer in comparison with healthy controls. Conclusions (1) These results suggest that the miR-24 might be a possible candidate as molecular biomarker to diagnose oral cancer through saliva; however, further studies need to be done in order to validate these results and (2) Saliva is an important source of biomolecules suitable to be validated as molecular markers to diagnose oral diseases. To evaluate the expression of miR-24 in saliva collected from patients diagnosed with oral cancer. Plasma and saliva samples were spontaneously collected from 03 healthy donors (controls) and 8 patients with oral cancer. MicroRNA extraction was done using trizol reagent and quantified by spectrophotometry. cDNA was synthesized using the GoScriptT Reverse Transcription kit (PROMEGA). Then, miR-24 expression was analyzed using real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay. β-globin was used as reference gene. Seven patients were diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma and 1 with myoepithelial carcinoma. Patients presented single and ulcerated lesions and absence of metastasis. Most of them were men (62.5%) whose average age was 64.5 years. In plasma samples, there were no difference in expression levels between controls and patients samples; however, in saliva, miR-24 showed overexpression (4.0-fold; P < .05) in patients with oral cancer in comparison with healthy controls. (1) These results suggest that the miR-24 might be a possible candidate as molecular biomarker to diagnose oral cancer through saliva; however, further studies need to be done in order to validate these results and (2) Saliva is an important source of biomolecules suitable to be validated as molecular markers to diagnose oral diseases.