Salivary microRNA miR-let-7a-5p and miR-3928 could be used as potential diagnostic bio-markers for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUNDS: MicroRNAs (miRNA) are a class of non-protein-coding RNAs that have significant biological and pathological functions. The importance of miRNAs as potential cancer diagnostic biomarkers is gaining attention due to their influence in the regulation of cellular processes such as cell differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. The aim of this study was to identify significant miRNAs from saliva as potential diagnostic biomarkers in the early diagnosis and prognosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five differentially expressed miRNAs (miR-7703, miR- let-7a-5p, miR- 345-5p, miR- 3928 and miR- 1470) were selected from Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) miRNA data generated from our previous study using saliva of 12 HNSCC patients and 12 healthy controls. Their differential expressed miRNAs were subsequently validated by RT-qPCR using saliva samples from healthy controls (n = 80) and HNSCC patients (n = 150). Total RNA was isolated from 150 saliva samples of HNSCC patients and was transcripted into cDNA by TaqMan MicroRNA Reverse Transcription Kit. Using quantitative RT-PCR analysis, salivary miRNAs were identified in HNSCC patients (n = 150) and healthy controlled cases (n = 80). T-tests were used to compare the differences among the various clinical variants. RESULTS: On average 160 ng/µl was isolated from 500 µl of saliva. Overall, a good correlation observed between the HNSCC and some of miRNAs expression levels. Salivary miR-let-7a-5p (P<0.0001) and miR-3928 (P< 0.01) were significantly down regulated in saliva of HNSCC patients relative to age and sex-matched healthy controls. A number of salivary miRNAs (miR-let-7a-5p and miR-3928) were correlated with lymph node metastasis (p = 0.003, p = 0.049) and tumour size (p = 0.01, p = 0.02), respectively. However, our preliminary analysis showed no significant differences in salivary miR-1470, miR-345-5p or miR-7703 expression between patients and healthy controls. Most notably, our analysis showed that salivary miR-let-7a-5p and miR-3928 expression levels have significant sensitivity and specificity to distinguish between patients with HNSCC and healthy controls. CONCLUSION: This study concluded that salivary miR-let-7a-5p and miR-3928 has the potential to be novel non-invasive biomarkers for early detection and prognosis of HNSCC.

FSH-regulated gene expression profiles in ovarian tumours and normal ovaries.

Development, growth and function of the ovary are controlled by endocrine and paracrine signals. These may also influence the development of ovarian cancer. The aim of this study was to identify the key molecular markers of the unregulated growth and hormone synthesis seen in ovarian tumours, particularly in granulosa cell tumours (GCT). Genes used in this study were chosen on the basis of our understanding of growth and differentiation in the normal ovary. We sought to define the patterns of gene expression in a panel of epithelial and stromal ovarian tumours. Expression was determined by RT-PCR using gene-specific primers for the FSH receptor (FSHR); the FSH early response genes: regulatory subunit of protein kinase A (RII-beta), cyclin D2 (cycD2) and sgk; and late response markers: cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and the LH receptor (LHR). The GCT had high expression of FSHR compared with normal ovaries and the other tumours. cycD2 and RII-beta and COX-2 genes were also highly expressed in the GCT. sgk and LHR expression was lower in all of the tumours than in normal ovaries. Serous cystadenocarcinomas also had an unexpectedly high expression of COX-2. Comparison of the gene expression profiles between each tumour group suggests a molecular phenotype for GCT that is similar to that reported for FSH stimulated pre-ovulatory granulosa cells.

Haplotypes and mutations of the PAH locus in Egyptian families with PKU.

A high degree of molecular heterogeneneity at the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) locus was established by examining RFLP haplotypes and PAH mutations in the families of 13 Egyptians with phenylketenouria (PKU). Thirteen different haplotypes were unequivocally determined in these kindreds. Haplotypes 1.8, 3.9, 4.3, 7.8, 22.11, 27.6, and 52.8 were found segregating with normal chromosomes, whilst haplotypes 1.8, 5.9, 23.8, 32.8, the newly assigned 73.9, and two as yet incomplete but novel haplotypes were found segregating with the mutant chromosomes. There was no particular preference for a single haplotype among normal or mutant chromosomes. Nine different mutations were also identified among the 26 alleles. IVS 10nt11g (8/26), IVS 2nt5g-c (4/26), R261Q (3/26), R176X (2/26), Y206D (2/26), S231P (2/26), Y198fs [593-614del22bp]; (2/26), G46fs [136/137delG]; (1/26), and E178G (1/26). Six of these mutations (IVS 2nt5g-c, R176X, Y198fs, R261Q, S231P, and IVS 10nt11g) are common to other Mediterranean populations. Two mutations not previously reported in the Mediterranean basin were also observed (Y206D and G46fs). These intriguing preliminary findings confirm IVS 10nt11g as a major mutation among Mediterranean mutations and demonstrate the need for a more comprehensive study of Arab populations to confirm the uniqueness of the two novel mutations to the Egyptian population.