Identification of Critical miRNAs miR-4652 and miR-1304 as Novel Diagnostic Markers for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is marked by frequent recurrence rates and an unclear etiology, underscoring the critical need for early detection to improve therapeutic outcomes and reduce healthcare costs. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as key regulators of oral carcinogenesis by modulating gene expression at the posttranscriptional level and influencing various aspects of cellular physiology.

This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the prognostic significance of miR-1304 and miR-4652 expression levels in patients with OSCC, and to explore their potential as predictive biomarkers for disease progression and patient survival.

TargetScan was used to predict potential gene interactions of the microRNAs. Subsequently, the expression levels of C-Myc and the microRNAs miR-1304-3p and miR-4652-5p were evaluated in 30 pairs of OSCC and adjacent normal tissue samples. qRT-PCR analyses were performed to compare the expression of these molecules between tumor and normal tissues. Additionally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to assess the potential diagnostic value of these microRNAs in OSCC.

The expression levels of miR-1304, miR-4652, and C-Myc were significantly higher in OSCC tissues compared to their matched adjacent non-tumor tissues (p < 0.0001). Notably, high C-Myc expression was significantly correlated with both tumor grade (p = 0.003) and tumor stage (p = 0.005). ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the areas under the curve (AUCs) for C-Myc, hsa-miR-1304, and hsa-miR-4652 were 0.99, 0.99, and 0.95, respectively (p < 0.0001), indicating strong diagnostic potential.

These findings suggest that the upregulation of miR-1304 and miR-4652 could be used as biomarkers in OSCC. However, more studies with large samples are necessary.