Expression of H19 long non-coding RNA is down-regulated in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Long non-coding RNA H19 as a prognostic biomarker for oral squamous cell carcinoma

Background

H19, a 2.3 kb lncRNA, has been linked to tumor metastasis and progression, but its significance in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains unclear. H19 was initially thought to have a tumor-suppressive function, but recent studies have shown that it possesses both tumor-promoting and suppressive functions. The variation in H19 expression may be due to the influence of tobacco or low basal expression levels. However, there are limited studies available on the association between H19 and its role in the prognosis of OSCC.

Objective

The present study analyzes the expression of H19 correlated with clinicopathological parameters, tobacco habit, loco-regional recurrence, and overall survival.

Methods

A longitudinal study was undertaken using 96 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) OSCC tissues and 30 FFPE adjacent normal mucosa (NM) tissues from patients who had surgery between 2015 and 2018. The tissues were subjected to quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) to determine H19 expression. The differential expression levels of H19 in OSCC were compared to clinicopathological variables and risk habits using the t-test and ANOVA. H19 expression correlated overall survival was analyzed by drawing the Kaplan-Meier curve followed by the log-rank test. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to determine the ability of H19 to independently predict loco-regional recurrence and overall survival for OSCC.

Result

H19 was significantly underexpressed in OSCC compared to NM in both the study cases and the TCGA OSCC database. The lower expression of H19 was significantly associated with the tobacco smoking habit and was not associated with any clinical or pathological features. Multivariate Cox's proportional hazards regression analysis indicated that low H19 expression and positive lymph node metastasis were independent predictors of overall survival for OSCC. Higher age, higher TNM staging, and low H19 expression were independent predictors of loco-regional recurrence.

Conclusion

The findings in the present study indicate that H19 is a novel prognostic marker and may provide a therapeutic strategy for the targeted treatment of OSCC, and tobacco may play a role in the expression of H19.

Epigenetic modulation of long noncoding RNA H19 in oral squamous cell carcinoma-A narrative review

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) showed a seemingly increasing incidence in the last decade. In India, despite the use of tobacco decreased rapidly, in the past five years, the incidence pattern of OSCC over gender and age showed a drastic shift. About 51 % of the head and neck cancers are not associated with habits. Studies exploring various contributing factors in the incidence of this malignancy have documented. Recently, the epigenetic factors associated with the induction and progression of OSCC were explored. More than 90 % of the human genome is made up of non-coding transcriptome, which believed to be noises. However, these non-coding RNAs were identified to be the major epigenetic modulators, which raises concern over incidence of carcinoma in non-habit patients. H19 is a long non coding RNA which proved to be an effective biomarker in various carcinoma. Its role in oral squamous cell cancer was not investigated in depth. This review discusses in detail the various epigenetic role of H19 in inducing oral carcinogenesis.

Quantitative analysis of lncRNA in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues of oral squamous cell carcinoma

The study evaluated expression profiles of few regulatory lncRNAs in oral squamous cell carcinoma and normal mucosa adjacent to oral cancer using paired fresh frozen and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues stored at a different duration of time (1-5 years) using real-time quantitative PCR. The quantity and quality of total RNA isolated from FFPE tissues was less compared with that of fresh frozen tissues, which resulted in a noncorrelation of quantification cycle values. Following normalization, the expression of lncRNAs in the paired tissues did not differ significantly. The differential expression of the lncRNAs in the study was consistent with The Cancer Genome Atlas head and neck squamous cell carcinoma database. The study findings demonstrate the possibility of performing accurate quantitative analysis of lncRNAs using short amplicons and standardized real-time quantitative PCR assays in oral squamous cell carcinoma FFPE samples.

Dysregulation of miR-21-5p, miR-93-5p, miR-200c-3p and miR-205-5p in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Potential Biomarkers Panel?

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is considered the sixth most common cancer worldwide. To reduce the high mortality of the disease, sensitive and specific diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers are urgently needed. Non-coding RNA, microRNAs (miRNAs), which are short length non-coding transcripts, or long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) seem to be potential biomarkers, considering that they have an important role in regulation of cell fate being involved in a wide range of biological processes. Literature data emphasized the important role of these transcripts as a biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Therefore, we have evaluated the expression levels of a panel of four miRNAs (miR-21-5p, miR-93-5p, miR-200c-3p and miR-205-5p) and H19, MALAT1 by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) from 33 fresh frozen tissues and 33 normal adjacent tissues. Our date revealed miR-21-5p and miR-93-5p to be upregulated, while miR-200c-3p and miR-205-5p to be downregulated. Regarding the long non-coding RNAs, H19 and MALAT1, were also downregulated. We also investigated the expression of BCL2, which is another important gene correlated to non-coding RNAs investigated by as, and it was also under-expressed. Additional validation step at protein level was done for KI67, TP53 and BCL2. In our patient cohort no correlation with clinical stage and smoking status was observed. The results of the present study indicated the important role of miR-21-5p, miR-93-5p, miR-200c-3p, miR-205-5p and H19 in OSCC. Differential expression of these transcripts at sub-sites, may serve as a diagnostic marker with further elaboration on a larger sample size. Additional studies should be conducted to confirm the results, particularly the interconnection with coding and non-coding genes.

The Role and Mechanism of MALAT1 Long Non-Coding RNA in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the most common malignant tumor of the head and neck. HNSCC mainly affects the oral cavity and the laryngeal, laryngopharyngeal, and oropharyngeal tracts. The high incidence, hidden onset, low survival rate, and unsatisfactory effects of treatment effect underscore the importance of identify the mechanisms of HNSCC occurrence and development. Although there is a very urgent need for early diagnosis and treatment, there are currently no reliable early HNSCC diagnosis biomarkers or effective treatment targets. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is widely involved in biological processes, especially as a key regulator of tumorigenesis and development. Lung adenocarcinoma metastasis-associated transcript 1 (MALAT1) is an important member of the lncRNA family that can regulate the occurrence and development of a variety of malignant tumors and is anticipated to be an ideal marker for early tumor diagnosis and an effective therapeutic target. Here, we review the research progress into the role of MALAT1 in the diagnosis and treatment of HNSCC and its regulatory mechanism.

Effects of long noncoding RNA on prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma: A protocol for systematic review and meta analysis

BACKGROUND

Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) is reported to be upregulated in many tumors. Although the expression of lncRNA in oral squamous cell carcinoma has been assessed, the association between lncRNA expression and prognosis or clinicopathological feature still remains controversial. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to verify whether lncRNA expression was related to prognosis or clinicopathological features in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma.

METHODS

We searched Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang databases from inception to February 2021. The language included Chinese and English. The published literature on lncRNA expression and prognosis or clinicopathological characteristics of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma was statistically analyzed. The combination of hazard ratios (HRs), odds ratios (OR), and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were applied to evaluate the effects of lncRNA on the prognosis and clinicopathological features of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

RESULTS

This study could provide a comprehensive review of the available evidence of lncRNA on the prognosis and clinicopathological features of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

CONCLUSION

The conclusion of our study will provide the updated evidence to judge the lncRNA on the prognosis and clinicopathological features of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Glycolysis reprogramming in cancer-associated fibroblasts promotes the growth of oral cancer through the lncRNA H19/miR-675-5p/PFKFB3 signaling pathway

As an important component of the tumor microenvironment, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) secrete energy metabolites to supply energy for tumor progression. Abnormal regulation of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) is thought to contribute to glucose metabolism, but the role of lncRNAs in glycolysis in oral CAFs has not been systematically examined. In the present study, by using RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, we analyzed the lncRNA/mRNA profiles of normal fibroblasts (NFs) derived from normal tissues and CAFs derived from patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). LncRNA H19 was identified as a key lncRNA in oral CAFs and was synchronously upregulated in both oral cancer cell lines and CAFs. Using small interfering RNA (siRNA) strategies, we determined that lncRNA H19 knockdown affected proliferation, migration, and glycolysis in oral CAFs. We found that knockdown of lncRNA H19 by siRNA suppressed the MAPK signaling pathway, 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) and miR-675-5p. Furthermore, the lncRNA H19/miR-675-5p/PFKFB3 axis was involved in promoting the glycolysis pathway in oral CAFs, as demonstrated by a luciferase reporter system assay and treatment with a miRNA-specific inhibitor. Our study presents a new way to understand glucose metabolism in oral CAFs, theoretically providing a novel biomarker for OSCC molecular diagnosis and a new target for antitumor therapy.