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Expression of sexual hormones receptors in oral squamous cell carcinoma
1Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
Abstract:
Sexual hormones play an important role in expression of genes involved in a wide variety of biological and neoplastic processes. The information on Estrogen Receptors (ER) expression in non-target tissues is very few and, in particular, the studies in head and neck tumors are still controversial. Recent studies analyzed the role of Tamoxifen (TAM) on Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) lines in relation to the presence/absence of ER. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the expression of sexual hormones receptors mRNAs, in particular Estrogen Receptor alpha (ERα) and Androgen Receptor (AR) mRNA in OSCC tissues. The study group comprised 20 samples of OSCC, harvested from 20 otherwise healthy subjects (14 males and 6 females, mean age 58.2y, range 38-74). The control group was formed by 20 samples of normal mucosa harvested around the margins of the specimens (at least 1 cm from the lesion margins). Estrogens Receptor alpha (Era) and Androgen Receptor (AR) mRNA expressions were analyzed by RT-PCR carried out on total RNAs extracted from both cancerous and healthy tissues. Obtained data were evaluated by Shapiro-Walk normality test and compared by Student's t test. Results with p<0.05 were considered statistically significant. AR transcripts were less expressed in OSCC specimens than in healthy tissues, while levels of ERα transcripts significantly increased in tumor samples. These preliminary data show different expression patterns of AR and ERα mRNAs in malignant tissues of oral mucosa and could suggest an involvement of these sexual hormones in oral cancer.
Insights
Androgen Receptor (AR) mRNA was less expressed in oral cancer tissues than healthy tissues. Estrogen Receptor alpha (ERα) mRNA levels significantly increased in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) samples, suggesting a role for these hormones in oral cancer.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Sexual hormones influence gene expression in biological and neoplastic processes.
- Estrogen Receptor (ER) expression in non-target tissues, particularly head and neck tumors, remains poorly understood and controversial.
- Recent research explored Tamoxifen's role in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) cell lines based on ER presence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mRNA expression of Estrogen Receptor alpha (ERα) and Androgen Receptor (AR) in OSCC tissues.
- To compare sexual hormone receptor mRNA levels between cancerous and healthy oral mucosa.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of ERα and AR mRNA expression using RT-PCR.
- Extraction of total RNA from 20 OSCC samples and 20 normal oral mucosa samples.
- Statistical analysis including Shapiro-Walk normality test and Student's t test.
Main Results:
- Androgen Receptor (AR) transcripts were significantly less expressed in OSCC specimens compared to healthy tissues.
- Estrogen Receptor alpha (ERα) transcripts showed a significant increase in OSCC samples.
- p<0.05 was used to determine statistical significance.
Conclusions:
- Distinct expression patterns of AR and ERα mRNAs were observed in malignant oral mucosa tissues.
- These findings suggest a potential involvement of sexual hormones, specifically ERα and AR, in the development or progression of oral cancer.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the precise role of these receptors in oral carcinogenesis.
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