| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000)
Fiscal Year 2006: ¥1,700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000)
Fiscal Year 2005: ¥1,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,900,000)
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| Research Abstract |
Background.
HOX genes encode transcription factors that function as master regulators in embryogenesis. Human HOX genes consist of 39 genes arranged in four clusters (HOXA, B, C and D) localized on chromosome 7,17,12 and 2, respectively. We hypothesized that the dysregulated expression of HOX genes was associated with tumor development and malignant progression.
Methods.
In this study, the expression levels of39 HOX genes in 31 human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), 11 dysplasia and 10normal mucosa tissues were quantified by a comprehensive analysis system based on the real-time RT-PCR method.
Results.
We found that the expression levels of 18 HOX genes (HOXA1,A2,A3,A5,A9,B3,B6,B7,B9,C4,C6,C8,C9,C11,C13,D9,D10 andD11) in the OSCC tissues were significantly higher than those in the normal mucosa tissues.The dysplasia tissues showed significantly high expression of HOXA2,A3,B3 and D10 compared to normal mucosa tissues whereas they showed significantly low expression of HOXA1,B7,B9 and C8 compared to OSCC. The OSCC with lymph node metastasis showed high expression of HOXC6 compared to the OSCC without it. Cluster analysis of all the normal mucosa, dysplasia and OSCC tissues according to 39 HOX gene expression levels classified them into two groups, a normal mucosa group and a OSCC group, except one normal mucosa ; and the dysplasia tissues were classified into either a normal mucosa group or a OSCC group.
Conclusions.
These results indicate that aberrant expressions of particular HOX genes are implicated in the development of oral dysplasia and OSCC and these expression profiles could provide a biomarker system for predicting the risk of lymph node metastasis in OSCC.
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