Klin Onkol 2024; 37(1): 34-39. DOI: 10.48095/ccko202434.
Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common cancers in the head and neck squamous cell cancer group. The increasing frequency of oral carcinomas and their late-stage appearance is a major worldwide health concern. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) appear to play an important role in cancer growth and progression, according to growing data, whereas no information is available regarding miR-7113-3p and miR-6721-5p involvement in OSCC. In this article, the expression of MAP2K1, miR-7113-3p, and miR-6721-5p was examined for possible biological functions in the advancement of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Material and methods: We used quantitative real-time PCR (to examine the mRNA expression of MAP2K1, miR-7113-3p, and miR-6721-5p in fresh frozen OSCC tissues and adjacent normal fresh frozen tissues from 30 patients, and we investigated their relationship with clinical parameters. Results: MAP2K1 expression was found to be dramatically increased in tumor tissues than in normal tissues, whereas miR7113-3p and miR-6721-5p expression was significantly decreased. Furthermore, a statistical correlation of P = 0.04 was also observed between increased MAP2K1 expression and perineural invasion. Additionally, we noted that the downregulation of miR-7113-3p appears to correlate positively with overexpression of MAP2K1 (P = 0.0218), and a negative correlation was observed between downregulation of miR-6721-5p and overexpression of MAP2K1 (P = 0.7771). Conclusion: Based on these findings, miR-7113-3p and miR-6721-5p might be prospective biomarkers for OSCC patients, and could be utilized to detect OSCC at an early stage for future diagnosis. MAP2K1 overexpression has been linked to the development of OSCC and perineural invasion.
