Correlation of hsa miR-101-5p and hsa miR-155-3p Expression With c-Fos in Patients of Oral Submucous Fibrosis (OSMF) and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC)

Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders and Oral Cancer in Saudi Arabia: An Epidemiological Review of the Literature

Background: Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) are a group of chronic oral mucosal diseases associated with an increased risk of malignant transformation. Multiple studies have investigated the prevalence of these conditions in multiple regions; however, there are limited data about the prevalence of OPMDs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). This paper aims to review the prevalence of OPMDs in the KSA, to ensure better understanding of the population risk and propose a more standardised approach to the diagnosis and management of this group across the KSA. In addition, this review will discuss the prevalence of oral cancer in the KSA, considering independent risk factors for oral cancer development. Methods: Electronic databases including PubMed, Medline, Medscape, ScienceDirect, StatPearls, BMC Oral Health and the Cochrane Library were searched with the keywords "Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders"; "Saudi Arabia"; and "Oral Cancer". Identified articles were reviewed independently by 2 reviewers against defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: 16 studies were included in this review. The prevalence of OPMDs in KSA varies significantly depending on age, gender, social habits, background disease and dental status. Conclusions: This review highlights the need for up-to-date data on the prevalence, distribution, and characteristics of OPMDs in KSA. The diverse prevalence rates and distinct characteristics of various OPMDs emphasise the necessity for targeted preventive measures. As the data on OPMDs in KSA remains limited, future research efforts should prioritise the establishment of comprehensive epidemiological studies to inform effective public health interventions in this region.

Decreased expression of hsa_circ_0112879 in oral squamous cell carcinoma and its clinicopathological implications

Background

To identify differently expressed circular RNA (circRNA) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and adjacent normal tissue, construct a hsa_circ_0112879-related microRNAs (miRNAs) prognostic model, and discuss the circRNA as a biomarker for early diagnosis of OSCC.

Methods

The expression of hsa_circ_0112879 in OSCC cell lines and tissues was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to estimate its clinical significance. The potential miRNA and messenger RNA (mRNA) binding to hsa_circ_009755 were predicted by R software edgeR package. Based on the median value of the risk score in the all-sample cohort, all the included patients with OSCC were divided into either high- or low-risk groups, and Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed. The ROC curve was used to verify the accuracy of the risk signature in predicting the prognosis of OSCC. By univariable Cox, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), and multivariable Cox analyses, we constructed a hsa_circ_0112879-related miRNAs risk model to forecast the prognosis of OSCC.

Results

The expression of hsa_circ_0112879 was significantly downregulated in the OSCC tissues and cell lines. The expression level was statistically correlated with the pathological differentiation of OSCC tumors (P=0.0285). Furthermore, 141 differentially expressed hsa_circ_0112879-related miRNAs were obtained [|log2FC| >1, false discovery rate (FDR) <0.05], of which 70 miRNAs were up-regulated in OSCC tissues, whereas 71 miRNAs were down-regulated in OSCC tissues. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) at 1-, 3-, and 5-year in the all-sample cohort was 0.591, 0.689, and 0.618, respectively. The toll-like receptor signaling pathway, Janus tyrosine kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling pathway, nucleotide-binding and oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor signaling pathway, and T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling pathway were mainly enriched in the high-risk group.

Conclusions

The model and nomogram constructed herein has the ability to discriminate the prognosis of OSCC patients. Hsa_circ_0112879 may serve as a novel biomarker in the diagnosis and prognosis of OSCC.

Noncoding RNAs: Master Regulator of Fibroblast to Myofibroblast Transition in Fibrosis

Myofibroblasts escape apoptosis and proliferate abnormally under pathological conditions, especially fibrosis; they synthesize and secrete a large amount of extracellular matrix (ECM), such as α-SMA and collagen, which leads to the distortion of organ parenchyma structure, an imbalance in collagen deposition and degradation, and the replacement of parenchymal cells by fibrous connective tissues. Fibroblast to myofibroblast transition (FMT) is considered to be the main source of myofibroblasts. Therefore, it is crucial to explore the influencing factors regulating the process of FMT for the prevention, treatment, and diagnosis of FMT-related diseases. In recent years, non-coding RNAs, including microRNA, long non-coding RNAs, and circular RNAs, have attracted extensive attention from scientists due to their powerful regulatory functions, and they have been found to play a vital role in regulating FMT. In this review, we summarized ncRNAs which regulate FMT during fibrosis and found that they mainly regulated signaling pathways, including TGF-β/Smad, MAPK/P38/ERK/JNK, PI3K/AKT, and WNT/β-catenin. Furthermore, the expression of downstream transcription factors can be promoted or inhibited, indicating that ncRNAs have the potential to be a new therapeutic target for FMT-related diseases.