Quantitative Expression of Cell-Free Salivary Transcriptomes (IL8, IL1β, And H3F3A) in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Oral Erosive Lichen Planus

Abstract

Objective: Diagnosis of oral SCC at its earliest stage is crucial for increasing survival rate. Salivary transcriptome meets demands for noninvasive, accessible, and highly efficient diagnostic medium. This study designed to investigate whether quantification of cell-free salivary mRNA of certain genes (IL8, IL1β, H3F3A) is an informative diagnostic tool for early detection of oral SCC and malignant transformation in erosive oral lichen planus.
 Methods: The mRNA of salivary transcriptomes of IL8, IL1B, and H3F3A genes were examined in 18 individuals (six oral SCC, six oral lichen planus, and six healthy people). Up to 5 ml of unstimulated saliva was collected from each person. The total RNA was extracted from the cell-free saliva samples and converted to cDNA. The mRNA expression level of the indicated genes was quantified by a qRT-PCR technique using specific primers and SyberGreen reagent. The data obtained from the qRT-PCR reaction was analyzed using the comparative CT (2-ΔΔCT) method. Independent t-test was performed to find the relation between variables. P-value < 0.05 was considered significant.
 Results: The results show that the mRNA expression of all the three indicated genes (IL8, IL1B, and H3F3A) was up-regulated in all OSCC and erosive oral lichen planus cases in comparison to normal cases. 
 Conclusions: This work demonstrates a significant correlation between cell-free salivary mRNA of certain genes and cases of OSCC and oral lichen planus. These findings suggest that detection of salivary mRNA of certain related genes hold promises as future biomarkers for accurate and early diagnosis of oral malignancies.