Angiotensin-converting Enzyme 2 Expression in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Correlation with p53 and Vascular...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Angiotensin-converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) has a potential tumor-suppressive role by inhibiting angiogenesis.
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and tumor protein 53 (p53) are key biomarkers for tumor progression and angiogenesis.
• The precise role and expression of ACE2 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the gene expression levels of ACE2, p53, and VEGF in OSCC tissues.
• To assess the correlation between ACE2 expression and the expression of VEGF and p53 in OSCC.
• To understand the potential role of ACE2 in OSCC progression and angiogenesis.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 20 OSCC tissue samples and 20 healthy controls.
• RNA isolation and cDNA synthesis using specific primers for ACE2, p53, and VEGF.
• Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to quantify gene expression levels.

Main Results:

• Mean mRNA expression levels in OSCC patients were 1.8 for ACE2, 1.4 for p53, and 2.7 for VEGF.
• ACE2 expression showed a positive correlation with VEGF expression (Pearson coefficient).
• ACE2 expression demonstrated a negative correlation with p53 expression (Pearson coefficient).

Conclusions:

• OSCC tissues exhibit increased mRNA expression of ACE2, p53, and VEGF compared to healthy tissues.
• ACE2 levels are associated with increased VEGF expression in OSCC patients, suggesting a role in angiogenesis.
• Further research is needed to fully elucidate ACE2's function in the VEGF-mediated angiogenesis pathway within OSCC progression.