Independent and joint exposure to passive smoking and cooking oil fumes on oral cancer in Chinese women: a hospital-based case-control study

Association of Sleep Quality and General, Mental, and Oral Health with Lifestyle Traits (Dietary Intake, Smoking Status) in Arthritis: A Cross-Sectional Study from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)

Arthritis is associated with health challenges. Lifestyle traits are believed to influence arthritis development and progression; however, data to support personalized treatment regimens based on holistic lifestyle factors are missing. This study aims to provide a comprehensive list of associations between lifestyle traits and the health status of individuals with arthritis in the Canadian population, using binary logistic regression analysis on data from the Canadian Community Health Survey, which includes 104,359 respondents. Firstly, we explored the association between arthritis and various aspects of health status including self-reported lifestyle factors. Secondly, we examined the associations between self-reported dietary intake and smoking status with general, mental, and oral health, and sleep disturbance among individuals both with and without arthritis. Our analysis revealed that individuals with arthritis reported considerably poorer general, mental, and oral health, and poorer sleep quality compared to those without arthritis. Associations were also found between self-reported dietary intake and various measures of health status in individuals with arthritis. Smoking and exposure to passive smoking were associated not only with arthritis but also with compromised sleep quality and poorer general, mental, and oral health in people with and without arthritis. This study highlights the need for personalized and holistic approaches that may include a combination of dietary interventions, oral health improvements, sleep therapies, and smoking cessation for improved arthritis prevention and care.

Association between ambient exposure to PM2.5 and upper aerodigestive tract cancer in Los Angeles

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5 ) contains carcinogens similar to those generated by tobacco smoking, which may increase the risks of developing smoking-related cancers, such as upper aerodigestive track (UADT) cancers, for both smokers and never-smokers. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the relation between ambient PM2.5 exposure and risk of UADT cancers. A population-based case-control study involving 565 incident UADT cancer cases and 983 controls was conducted in Los Angeles County from 1999 to 2004. The average residential PM2.5 concentration 1 year before the diagnosis date for cases and the reference date for controls was assessed using a chemical transport model. The association between ambient PM2.5 and the UADT cancers was estimated by unconditional logistic regression, adjusting for confounders at the individual and block-group level. Stratified analyses were conducted by sex, tobacco smoking status and UADT subsites. We also assessed the interaction between PM2.5 and tobacco smoking on UADT cancers. PM2.5 concentrations were associated with an elevated odds of UADT cancers (adjusted odds ratio = 1.21 per interquartile range [4.5 μg/m3 ] increase; 95% confidence interval: 1.02, 1.44). The association between PM2.5 and UADT cancers was similar across UADT subsites, sex and tobacco smoking status. The interaction between PM2.5 and tobacco smoking on UADT cancers was approximately additive on the odds scale. The effect estimate for PM2.5 and UADT cancers was similar among never smokers. Our findings support the hypothesis that exposure to PM2.5 increases the risk of UADT cancers. Improvements in air quality may reduce the risk of UADT cancers.

Intricate confrontation: Research progress and application potential of TRIM family proteins in tumor immune escape

BACKGROUND

Tripartite motif (TRIM) family proteins have more than 80 members and are widely found in various eukaryotic cells. Most TRIM family proteins participate in the ubiquitin-proteasome degradation system as E3-ubiquitin ligases; therefore, they play pivotal regulatory roles in the occurrence and development of tumors, including tumor immune escape. Due to the diversity of functional domains of TRIM family proteins, they can extensively participate in multiple signaling pathways of tumor immune escape through different substrates. In current research and clinical contexts, immune escape has become an urgent problem. The extensive participation of TRIM family proteins in curing tumors or preventing postoperative recurrence and metastasis makes them promising targets.

AIM OF REVIEW

The aim of the review is to make up for the gap in the current research on TRIM family proteins and tumor immune escape and propose future development directions according to the current progress and problems.

KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF REVIEW

This up-to-date review summarizes the characteristics and biological functions of TRIM family proteins, discusses the mechanisms of TRIM family proteins involved in tumor immune escape, and highlights the specific mechanism from the level of structure-function-molecule-pathway-phenotype, including mechanisms at the level of protein domains and functions, at the level of molecules and signaling pathways, and at the level of cells and microenvironments. We also discuss the application potential of TRIM family proteins in tumor immunotherapy, such as possible treatment strategies for combination targeting TRIM family protein drugs and checkpoint inhibitors for improving cancer treatment.

Semi-quantitative assessment of environmental tobacco smoke exposure and its association with the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma: A pilot study

INTRODUCTION

Two known major risk factors for oral squamous cell carcinoma are smoking and alcohol consumption. Environmental tobacco smoke (also known as secondhand smoke) has been proven to be associated with the occurrence of lung and breast carcinoma. This study aimed to assess exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and its association with the development of oral squamous cell carcinomas.

METHODS

Using a standardized questionnaire, 165 cases and 167 controls were asked about their demographic data and risk behaviors, including environmental tobacco smoke exposure. An environmental tobacco smoke score (ETS-score) was developed to semi-quantitatively record the previous exposure to ETS. Statistical analyses were performed with χ² test or Fishers exact test, and with ANOVA or Welch's t-test as appropriate. An analysis was done using multiple logistic regression.

RESULTS

Cases had a significantly increased previous exposure to environmental tobacco smoke compared to the controls (ETS-score: 36.69 ± 26.34 vs 13.92 ± 12.44; p<0.0001). Comparing only the groups without additional active risk factors, exposure to environmental tobacco smoke was associated with a more than threefold higher likelihood of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OR=3.47; 95% CI: 1.31-10.55). Statistically significant differences in ETS-score were found for different tumor locations (p=0.0012) and different histopathological gradings (p=0.0399). A multiple logistic regression analysis confirmed exposure to environmental tobacco smoke as an independent risk factor for the development of oral squamous cell carcinomas (p<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Environmental tobacco smoke is an important but yet underestimated risk factor for the development of oral squamous cell carcinomas. Further studies are needed to confirm the results, including the usefulness of the developed environmental tobacco smoke score for exposure.

Burden of oral cancer in Asia from 1990 to 2019: Estimates from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study

Background

Oral cancer (OC) poses a threat to human health and imposes a heavy burden on countries. We assessed the burden imposed by OC on Asian nations from 1990 to 2019 based on gender and age.

Methods

We collected oral cancer data from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease study from 1990 to 2019 in 45 Asian countries and territories. Annual case data and age-standardised rates (ASRs) were used to investigate the incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) of OC based on age and gender from 1990 to 2019 in 45 Asian countries and territories. Estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) were used to assess incidence rate, mortality, and trends in DALYs.

Results

The age-standardised incidence rate (ASIR) of OC increased from 1990 to 2019 with an EAPC of 0.32 (95% CI, 0.19–0.46), and the age-standardised death rate of OC remained stable at an EAPC of 0.08 (95%CI, from -0.06 to 0.21). The age-standardised DALYs of OC decreased at an EAPC of -0.16 (95%CI, from -0.30 to -0.02). The proportion of patients older than 70 years increased yearly in terms of incidence, mortality, and DALYs from 1990 to 2019. Of the DALYs, smoking was the main contributor in the Asian regions, and the largest contributor to DALYs in most Asian regions. Other contributors were alcohol use and chewing tobacco.

Conclusion

Although the burden of OC was declining in Asia, South Asia remained the region with the highest burden. OC caused the greatest burden in Pakistan, Taiwan China, and India. Therefore, measures should be taken to reduce the burden of oral cancer in high-risk regions and countries with attributable risk factors.

Associations between air pollution exposure and birth defects: a time series analysis

Air pollution is a serious environmental problem in China. Birth defects are particularly vulnerable to outdoor air pollution. Our study was to evaluate the association between short-term exposure to air pollutants and the risk of birth defects. Daily data including the air pollutants, meteorological characteristics, and birth records were obtained in Hefei, China, during January 2013 to December 2016. The findings showed that PM_2.5, PM₁₀, SO₂, NO₂, and O₃ exposures were positively correlated with the risk of birth defects. Maternal exposure to PM_2.5 and SO₂ during the 4th to 13th gestational weeks was observed to have a significant association with the risk of birth defects, with the maximum effect in the 7th or 8th week for PM_2.5 and the maximum effect in the 7th week for SO₂. The positively significant exposure windows were the 4th to 14th weeks for PM₁₀, the 4th to 12th weeks for NO₂, and the 26th to 35th weeks for O₃, respectively. The strongest associations were observed in the 8th week for PM₁₀, the 7th week for NO₂, and in the 31st or 32nd week for O_3. The findings of this study demonstrate that air pollutants increase the risk of birth defects among women during pregnancy in Hefei, China, which provide evidence for improving the health of pregnant women and neonates in developing countries, and uncovered potential opportunities to reduce or prevent birth defects by proactive measures during pregnancy.

Toxic effect of cooking oil fume (COF) on lungs: Evidence of endoplasmic reticulum stress in rat

BACKGROUND

Cooking oil fumes (COF) is one of the primary sources of indoor air pollution in China, which is associated with respiratory diseases such as acute lung injury and lung cancer. However, evidence of COF toxic effect was few.

OBJECTIVES

The research was aimed to investigate the toxic effect and the underlying mechanisms induced by COF.

METHODS

The female Wistar rats were randomly divided into several groups, including control group, COF exposure group and VE protection group, and instilled intratracheally with different COF suspensions (0.2, 2, 20 mg/kg) or saline once every 3 days for 30 days. After 24 h of final exposure, all rat were anesthetic euthanasia to draw materials. The alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was for inflammatory cell count. The lung homogenate was to determine the biochemical indexes such as oxidative stress, apoptosis factors, carcinogenic toxicity and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. The left lung was made for immunohistochemical and histopathological analysis.

RESULTS

The results showed that the levels of oxidative stress (ROS), apoptosis factors (NF-κB), carcinogenic toxicity (P53 and 8-OhdG), ER stress (IRE-1α and Caspase-12) in 2 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg COF exposure groups were significantly increased compared with the saline groups. The above pathological changes were improved after vitamin E (VE) supplementation. In addition, the immunohistochemical and histopathological analysis found the same trend.

CONCLUSION

The COF had health risk of heredity and potential carcinogenicity. Besides, COFs can not only induce oxidative stress, but also induce ER stress in lung and airway epithelial cells of female rats through the unfolded protein reaction (UPR) pathway. It revealed that the oxidative stress and ER stress interacted in aggravating lung injury. VE could effectively alleviate the lung injury causing by COF exposure.

Secondhand smoke exposure and oral cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

Inhalation of secondhand smoke (SHS) causes several diseases, including lung cancer. Tobacco smoking is a known cause of oral cancer; however, it has not been established whether SHS also causes oral cancer . The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential association between SHS exposure and the risk of oral cancer.

METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis study (following the PRISMA guidelines) was developed to examine the studies reporting on the associations of SHS and the risk of oral cancer, employing a search strategy on electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Open Grey, and ProQuest databases for dissertations) until 10 May 2020. Meta-analyses and sensitivity analyses were performed using random-effect models. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020189970).

RESULTS

Following the application of eligibility criteria, five studies were included, comprising a total of 1179 cases and 5798 controls, with 3452 individuals exposed and 3525 individuals not exposed to SHS. An overall OR of 1.51 (95% CI 1.2o to 1.91, p=0.0004) for oral cancer was observed, without significant heterogeneity (I²=0%, p=0.41). The duration of exposure of more than 10 or 15 years increased the risk of oral cancer (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.54 to 2.79, p<0.00001), compared with non-exposed individuals, without significant heterogeneity (I²=0%, p=0.76).

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review and meta-analysis supports a causal association between SHS exposure and oral cancer. Our results could provide guidance to public health professionals, researchers, and policymakers to further support effective SHS exposure prevention programs worldwide.

Risk of two common glandular cell-type cancers (breast and colorectal cancers) in Chinese occupational chefs: a nationwide ecological study in Taiwan

OBJECTIVES

Cooking oil fumes (COFs) contain many carcinogens. We investigated the association between COFs and incidence risk of colorectal cancer and female breast in chefs.

METHODS

We identified Chinese food chefs and non-Chinese food chefs from Taiwan's national database of certified chefs in 1984-2007. In total, 379,275 overall and 259,450 females had not been diagnosed as having any cancer before chef certification. We followed these chefs in Taiwan's Cancer Registry Database (1979-2010) and Taiwan's National Death Statistics Database (1985-2011) for newly diagnosed colorectal cancer and female breast cancer.

RESULTS

A total of 4,218,135 and 2,873,515 person-years were included in our analysis of colorectal cancer and female breast cancer incidence, respectively. Compared to non-Chinese food chefs, the Chinese food chefs had an adjusted IRR for colorectal cancer of 1.65 (95% CI  1.17-2.33). The risk of colorectal cancer was even higher among female Chinese food chefs certified for more than 5 years (adjusted incident rate ratio (IRR) = 2.39, 95% CI   1.38-4.12). For female breast cancer, the risk was also significant (adjusted IRR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.10-1.78) and the risks were even higher in female Chinese food chefs certified for more than 5 years (adjusted IRR = 1.74, 95% CI 1.37-2.22).

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that Chinese food chefs had an increased risk of colorectal cancer and female breast cancer, particularly female chefs who had worked for more than 5 years. Future human and animal studies are necessary to re-confirm these findings.

The association between air pollution and cancers: controversial evidence of a systematic review

There are inconsistent reports on the association between air pollution and cancers. This systematic review was, therefore, conducted to ascertain the relationship between air pollution and some cancers. This is a systematic review study, which all articles published in this area were extracted from January 1, 1950 to December 31, 2018 from Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Science Direct, Google scholar. Searching was performed independently by two search-method experts. The required data were extracted from the articles by an author-made questionnaire. Forty-eight articles were investigated. Evidence linking air pollution to some cancers is limited. Leukemia had the highest association with exposure to various air pollutants and bladder cancer had the lowest association. It is noteworthy that the specific type of pollutants in all studies was not specified. Based on the findings, the results are contradictory, and the role of air pollution in some cancers cannot be supported. Accordingly, studies are recommended to be performed at the individual level or multifactorial studies to specifically investigate the relationship between air pollution and these types of cancers. In this way, the role of air pollution in the incidence of these cancers can be determined more accurately.

Does second-hand smoke associate with tooth loss among older Japanese? JAGES cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

Second-hand smoke (SHS) is considered a risk factor for a number of oral diseases. However, its influence on tooth loss, which is the final consequence of periodontal disease and caries, remains unknown. We aimed to evaluate the association between SHS experience and the number of remaining teeth among non-smoking older Japanese individuals.

METHODS

Cross-sectional data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) 2013 were used. From the 27,561 people ≥65 years of age who responded to a self-reported questionnaire (response rate = 71.1%), data of 18,865 respondents who had never smoked were analysed. Multinomial logistic regression with multiple imputations was applied to estimate the odds ratio of the frequency of SHS exposures on the number of remaining teeth.

RESULTS

The prevalence of participants with ≥20 teeth, 10-19 teeth, 5-9 teeth, 1-4 teeth, and no teeth were 53.2%, 20.4%, 9.9%, 6.6%, and 9.9%, respectively. The proportion of participants with SHS was 37.5%. After adjusting for sex, the SHS experience tended to be associated with a lower risk of having the fewer number of remaining teeth (P < 0.05). However, after being adjusted for age and sex, participants with SHS exposure at "a few times a week" and "almost every day" were significantly associated with the fewer number of teeth. After adding all other covariates, compared to the participants without any exposure to SHS, the odds ratio for having no teeth rather than having ≥20 teeth among the participants with daily exposure to SHS was 1.35 (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Daily second-hand smoke was significantly associated with fewer remaining teeth based on the self-reported survey among older Japanese people.

Gender differences and lung cancer risk in occupational chefs: analyzing more than 350,000 chefs in Taiwan, 1984-2011

OBJECTIVES

Cooking oil fumes (COFs) contain many carcinogens. We investigated the association between COFs and incidence risk of any cancer and lung cancer in chefs.

METHODS

We identified Chinese food chefs and non-Chinese food chefs from Taiwan's national database of certified chefs in 1984-2007. Of them, 379,275 had not been diagnosed as having any cancer before chef certification. We followed them in Taiwan's Cancer Registry Database (1979-2010) and Taiwan's National Death Statistics Database (1985-2011) for any newly diagnosed cancer or lung cancer.

RESULTS

378,126 and 379,215 chefs were included for risk analysis of cancer and lung cancer, respectively. 6099 chefs developed cancer and 339 developed lung cancer over the follow-up periods of 4,183,550 and 4,220,163 person-years, respectively. Compared to non-Chinese food chefs, the adjusted IRR of cancer for Chinese food chefs was 1.69 (95% CI 1.51-1.89). For lung cancer, the risk was significantly higher among Chinese food chefs who had been certified for more than 5 years (adjusted IRR 2.12, 95% CI 1.32-3.40). This increased risk was pronounced in female chefs (adjusted IRR 4.73, 95% CI 1.74-12.86).

CONCLUSIONS

Chinese food chefs had an increased risk of cancer and lung cancer, particularly in females.

Association between prenatal exposure to cooking oil fumes and full-term low birth weight is mediated by placental weight

OBJECTIVE

Evidence regarding the association between prenatal exposure to cooking oil fumes (COF) and full-term low birth weight (FTLBW) is still controversial, and the mechanism remains unclear. This study thus aims to explore the association of prenatal COF exposure with off-spring FT-LBW as well as the mediating role of placenta in their association.

METHODS

A case-control study enrolling 266 pregnant women delivering FTLBW newborns (cases) and 1420 delivering normal birth weight (NBW) newborns (controls) was conducted. Information on prenatal COF exposure, socio-demographics, and obstetric conditions were collected at the Women's and Children's Hospitals of Shenzhen and Foshan in Guangdong, China. Linear and hierarchical logistic regression models were undertaken to explore the associations among COF exposure, placenta and birth weight, as well as the mediation effect of placental weight.

RESULTS

After controlling for potential confounders, prenatal COF exposure was significantly associated with the higher risk of FT-LBW (OR = 1.31, 95% CI= 1.06-1.63) and the lower placental weight (ß = -0.12, 95% CI= -0.23 ~ -0.005). Compared with mothers who never cooked, those cooking sometimes (OR= 2.99, 95% CI= 1.48-6.04) or often (OR= 3.41, 95% CI= 1.40-8.34) showed a higher risk of FT-LBW, and likewise, those cooking for less than half an hour (OR= 2.08, 95% CI= 1.14-3.79) or cooking between half to an hour (OR= 2.48, 95% CI= 1.44-4.29) were also more likely to exhibit FT-LBW. Different cooking methods including pan-frying (OR= 2.24, 95% CI= 1.30-3.85) or deep-frying (OR= 1.78, 95% CI= 1.12-2.85) during pregnancy were associated with increased FT-LBW risks as well. The further mediation analysis illustrated that placental weight mediated 15.96% (95% CI: 12.81~28.80%) and 15.90% (95% CI= 14.62%~16.66%) of the associations of cooking during pregnancy and frequency of prenatal COF exposure, respectively, with FT-LBW.

Effective early detection of oral cancer using a simple and inexpensive point of care device in oral rinses

INTRODUCTION

Head and neck cancer remains a challenging disease that is increasing in incidence with the majority of patients diagnosed at an advanced stage where 5-year survival is approximately 50%. Current approaches including oral-brush biopsies, fluorescence-based technologies,  and salivary molecular profiling have demonstrated some success; however, cost, ease of use, and accuracy remain limiting factors. Areas covered: This is a profile of a novel, easy to use oral rinse point-of-care (POC) test to aid in the diagnosis of oral and oropharyngeal cancer. Background science related to the challenge of oral and oropharyngeal cancer and natural history of diagnostic aids for this disease are provided. Results of studies performed for validation of a POC and laboratory test are also discussed. Expert commentary: The POC test has been validated through a case : control clinical study and a prospective European trial, using version 1.0 (v1.0), which have demonstrated consistent performance including a > 90% negative predictive value, with a sensitivity of 80%. The assay was designed to identify malignant lesions in the oral cavity and oropharynx by improving upon standard clinical assessment.

Nomograms and risk scores for predicting the risk of oral cancer in different sexes: a large-scale case-control study

Background: Although previous studies have explored the associations of modifiable lifestyle factors with oral cancer risk, few studies integrated these factors and established predictive tools for oral cancer risk in different sexes.

Methods: Using a case-control study design, a total of 978 oral cancer cases and 2646 healthy controls were recruited in this study. Nomograms were constructed according to significant factors in multivariable logistic regression. Risk scores were calculated based on the nomograms and quantified the risk of oral cancer using restricted cubic spline.

Results: Multivariate analyses demonstrated that smoking, alcohol drinking, tea, intake of fish, seafood, vegetables, fruits, teeth loss, regular dental visits and repetitive dental ulcer were independent factors for male oral cancer. Passive smoking, age at first intercourse, cooking oil fumes exposure, tea, intake of beans, vegetables, fruits, teeth loss, regular dental visits and repetitive dental ulcer were associated with female oral cancer. Then, two nomograms were developed for predicting the probability of oral cancer in men and women with the C-index of 0.768 (95% CI: 0.723-0.813) and 0.700 (95% CI: 0.635-0.765), respectively. Restricted cubic splines graphically revealed the risk of oral cancer in individuals with different risk scores. Moreover, the risk escalated continuously with the increasing number of the risk scores among both sexes.

Conclusions: Combining nomograms with risk scores developed in this study could precisely predict oral cancer occurrence and provide an accurate risk assessment.

Rates of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke from various indoor environments among US children and nonsmoker adolescents and adults

Data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for 2013-2014 were used to compute rates of exposure (ROE) to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) from various indoor environments among US children and nonsmoking adolescents and adults. In a typical week in USA, 473,000 infants (ROE, 11%), 3.36 million children aged 1-5 years (ROE, 16.4%), and 4.59 million children aged 6-11 years (ROE, 18.6%) are exposed to ETS from indoor environments only. ROE among children was found to be highest by inhaling tobacco smoke inside home, riding in a car, and when visiting other people's homes. In a typical week, 4.1 million nonsmoking adolescents (ROE, 29.2%) were being exposed to ETS. For every one adolescent smoker, 2.4 nonsmoker adolescents were being subjected to ETS exposure. Both non-Hispanic White (NHW) and non-Hispanic Black (NHB) nonsmoking adolescents had higher ROE (p < 0.01) than Hispanics (HISP) and non-Hispanic Asians (NHAS). Also, in a typical week, 16.8 million nonsmoking adults (ROE, 29.2%) were being exposed to ETS. For every adult smoker, 0.7 nonsmoker adult was subjected to ETS exposure. Both NHW and NHB nonsmoking adults had higher ROE (p < 0.01) than HISP and NHAS and males had higher ROE than females (p < 0.01).

The role of long non-coding RNA ANRIL in the carcinogenesis of oral cancer by targeting miR-125a

Recently, increasing evidence has indicated that lncRNAs may play a critical role in the progression of oral cancer (OC). However, whether lncRNA-ANRIL is involved in the tumorigenesis of OC remains undetermined. In the present study, ANRIL showed significantly higher, while miR-125a showed lower, expression in OC tissues and sera than in normal controls. MTT, colony formation, flow cytometry analysis, wound-healing, transwell and mice xenograft model assays were used to detect the proliferation, migration, and invasion of ARNIL-overexpressing HB56 cells and ARNIL-knockdown CAL27 cells. The results showed that cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were significantly increased by ARNIL overexpression and decreased by ARNIL silencing in oral cancer cells. Furthermore, we found a negative correlation between ARNIL and miR-125a, and ARNIL acts as a miRNA-sponge by directly interacting with miR-125a.

MiR-133a-3p Inhibits Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) Proliferation and Invasion by Suppressing COL1A1

The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of miR-133a-3p on human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells by regulating gene COL1A1. OSCC tissues, adjacent tongue epithelial tissues, the immortalized oral epithelial cell line HIOEC, and OSCC cell lines (CAL-27, TCA-8113, SCC-4, SCC-9, and SCC-15) were used in this research. Quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) was employed to determine the expression of miR-133a-3p and COL1A1. Dual luciferase reporter gene assay and Western blot were applied to verify the binding relationship between miR-133a-3p and COL1A1. Functional assays were also conducted in this study, including CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry analysis as well as Transwell assay. MiR-133a-3p was found low-expressed both in OSCC tissues and cells lines compared with normal tissues and cell line, respectively, whereas COL1A1 was just the opposite. The over-expression of miR-133a-3p or the down-regulation of COL1A1 suppressed the proliferation, invasion, and mitosis of OSCC cells, whereas simultaneous down-regulation of miR-133a-3p and up-regulation of COL1A1 led to no significant alteration of cell activities. MiR-133a-3p could inhibit the proliferation and migration of OSCC cells through directly targeting COL1A1 and reducing its expression. J. Cell. Biochem. 119: 338-346, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.