• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.112-117
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• 2010

Aurora kinases represent a novel family of serine/threonine kinases crucial for cell cycle control. Aurora-2 kinase is mainly involved in centrosome function, mitotic entry, and spindle assembly. Aurora-2 kinase overexpression causes centrosome amplification and the formation of multipolar mitotic spindles, which leads to tumor aneuploidy and so it has been found to play an important role in tumorigenicity in many cancers such as colorectal cancer, breast cancer and cervical cancer. Hence, the goal of this study is to identify the correlation of clinicopathlogical factors and overexpression of Aurora-2 kinase in oral squamous cell carcinoma. We studied the immunohistochemical staining of Aurora-2 kinase in 20 specimens of 20 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma and the relationships between Aurora-2 kinase over expression and each of the clinico-pathological parameters were analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. The results were as follows. 1. In the immunohistochemical study of poorly differentiated and invasive oral squamous cell carcinoma, the high level staining of Aurora-2 kinase was observed. 2. The correlation between immunohistochemical Aurora-2 kinase expression and histopathological differentiation of specimens was significant. These findings suggest that overexpression of Aurora-2 kinase may play a important role in carcinogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.17
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• pp.139-144
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• 2001

Chewing betel quid is associated with an increased risk of oral cancer. The betel quid chewed in Taiwan includes the inflorescence of Piper betle, which contains high concentrations of safrole (15 mg/fresh weight). Piper betle leaf is also used in betel quid; however, the concentration of safrole in betel leaf has not been documented. Chewing betel quid may contribute to safrole exposure in man (420 mm in saliva). Using $a^{32}$P-postlabeling method, we have recently demonstrated the presence of stable safrole-like DNA adducts in human oral tissues following betel quid chewing. Safrole is a rodent hepatocar-cinogen, and the real nature of safrole-DNA adducts in human tissues beside oral has not been elucidated. In this paper, we tested the safrole DNA adducts forming potential in human hepatic and oral derived cells by the ${32}^P$-postlabeling technique. The results suggest that oral cancer derived cell OC-2 alone is not able to form safrole-DNA adduct. However, safrole DNA adducts can be detected following I'-hydroxysafrole, a proximate safrole metabolite, treatment. In addition, pretreament of cytochrome P450 inducers also enhanced the formation of previously undetectable safrole DNA adducts. This finding couples with our previous results suggest that oral may serve as a target tissue for safrole, and safrole may be involved in oral carcinogenesis.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.41
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• pp.46.1-46.9
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• 2019

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) constitutes a group of tumors that exhibit heterogeneous biology, histopathology, and clinical behaviors. Case presentation: A 73-year-old male had a whitish leukoplakia-like lesion around inflamed peri-implant area (#42, #43, and #44), and this lesion had transformed to OSCC within 3 years. He underwent mass resection, selective neck dissection, and reconstructive surgery. To detect any carcinogenesis progression, we examined the removed tumor tissue as well as the patient's preoperative and postoperative sera to identify causative oncogenic proteins using immunoprecipitation high-performance liquid chromatography (IP-HPLC). Conclusions: The protein expression levels of p53, E-cadherin, β-catenin, MMP-10, HER2, NRAS, Met, HER2, and ERb were significantly lower in the serum collected on postoperative day 10 than in the preoperative serum, and if these proteins are consistently not elevated in the serum 3 months after surgery compared with the preoperative serum, these proteins can be potential oncogenic proteins. However, we also found that the serum extracted 3 months after the operation had elevated levels of oncogenic proteins compared with that of the preoperative and 10-day postoperative serum indicating the possibility of tumor recurrence. At postoperative follow-up period, ipsilateral neck metastasis and second primary lesion were found and additional surgery was performed to the patient. IP-HPLC using the patient's serum shows the possibility of oncogenic protein detection. However, follow-up IP-HPLC data is needed to find out patient-specific prognostic factors.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.1615-1619
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• 2015

Background: Promoter hypermethylation mediated gene silencing of tumor suppressor genes is considered as most frequent mechanism than genetic aberrations such as mutations in the development of cancers. BRD7 is a single bromodomain containing protein that functions as a subunit of SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complex to regulate transcription. It also interacts with the well know tumor suppressor protein p53 to trans-activate genes involved in cell cycle arrest. Loss of expression of BRD7 has been observed in breast cancers and nasopharyngeal carcinomas due to promoter hypermethylation. However, the genetic status of BRD7 in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) is not known, although OSCC is one of the most common among all reported cancers in the Indian population. Hence, in the present study we investigated OSCC samples to determine the occurrence of hypermethylation in the promoter region of BRD7 and understand its prevalence. Materials and Methods: Genomic DNA extracted from biopsy tissues of twenty three oral squamous cell carcinomas were digested with methylation sensitive HpaII type2 restriction enzyme that recognizes and cuts unmethylated CCGG motifs. The digested DNA samples were amplified with primers flanking the CCGG motifs in promoter region of BRD7 gene. The PCR amplified products were analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis along with undigested amplification control. Results: Methylation sensitive enzyme technique identified methylation of BRD7 promoter region seventeen out of twenty three (74%) well differentiated oral squamous cell carcinoma samples. Conclusions: The identification of BRD7 promoter hypermethylation in 74% of well differentiated oral squamous cell carcinomas indicates that the methylation dependent silencing of BRD7 gene is a frequent event in carcinogenesis. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to report the occurrence of BRD7and its high prevalence in oral squamous cell carcinomas.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.101-109
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• 2012

Objectives: The inactivation of the tumor suppressor gene $p16^{INK4a}$ plays an important role in the development of malignant tumors, including oral squamous cell carcinoma. The p16 gene is involved in the p16/cyclin-dependent kinase/retinoblastoma (Rb) gene pathway of cell cycle control. The p16 protein is considered a negative regulator of this pathway. The p16 gene encodes an inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 which regulate the phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma gene and G1 to S phase transition in the cell cycle. However, the p16 gene can lose its functionality through point mutations, loss of heterozygosity or methylation of its promoter region. Materials and Methods: In this study, the authors analyzed the correlation between various clinicopathological findings- patient age, gender and smoking, disease recurrence, tumor size, stage, and differentiation- and p16 protein expression or p16 promoter hypermethylation in 59 cases of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Results: The results revealed p16 protein expression and p16 promoter hypermethylation in 28 cases (47.5%) and 21 cases (35.6%), respectively, of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. However, neither p16 protein expression nor p16 promoter hypermethylation had any statistical influence on clinicopathological findings or survival rate. Conclusion: This data, and a review of the literature, suggest that p16 promoter hypermethylation cannot yet be used as an independent prognostic factor influencing carcinogenesis, but must be considered as an important factor along with other genetic alterations affecting the pRb pathway.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.141-142
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• 2001

Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb(Zingiberaceae) has been traditionally used in Indonesia for dietry and medicinal purposes. Xanthorrhizol is a sesquiterpenoid isolated from C. xanthorrhiza that has been known to possess anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic defects.(omitted)

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.15
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• pp.5983-5991
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• 2014

Introduction: Upper aero-digestive tract cancer is a multidimensional problem, international trends showing complex rises and falls in incidence and mortality across the globe, with variation across different cultural and socio-economic groups. This paper seeks some explanations and identifies some research and policy needs. Methodological Approach: The literature illustrates the multifactorial nature of carcinogenesis. At the cellular level, it is viewed as a multistep process involving multiple mutations and selection for cells with progressively increasing capacity for proliferation, survival, invasion, and metastasis. Established and emerging risk factors, in addition to changes in incidence and prevalence of cancers of the upper aero-digestive tract, were identified. Risk Factors: Exposure to tobacco and alcohol, as well as diets inadequate in fresh fruits and vegetables, remain the major risk factors, with persistent infection by particular so-called "high risk" genotypes of human papillomavirus increasingly recognised as also playing an important role in a subset of cases, particularly for the oropharynx. Chronic trauma to oral mucosa from poor restorations and prostheses, in addition to poor oral hygiene with a consequent heavy microbial load in the mouth, are also emerging as significant risk factors. Conclusions: Understanding and quantifying the impact of individual risk factors for these cancers is vital for health decision-making, planning and prevention. National policies and programmes should be designed and implemented to control exposure to environmental risks, by legislation if necessary, and to raise awareness so that people are provided with the information and support they need to adopt healthy lifestyles.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.19
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• pp.8351-8359
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• 2014

Background: Recent epidemiological data have implicated human papilloma virus (HPV) infection in the pathogenesis of head and neck cancers, especially oropharyngeal cancers. Although, HPV has been detected in varied amounts in persons with oral dysplasia, leukoplakias and malignancies, its involvement in oral tongue carcinogenesis remains ambiguous. Materials and Methods: HPV DNA prevalence was assessed by PCR with formalin fixed paraffin embedded sections (n=167) of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma patients and the physical status of the HPV16 DNA was assessed by qPCR. Immunohistochemistry was conducted for p16 evaluation. Results: We found the HPV prevalence in tongue cancers to be 51.2%, HPV 16 being present in 85.2% of the positive cases. A notable finding was a very poor concordance between HPV 16 DNA and p16 IHC findings (kappa<0.2). Further molecular classification of patients based on HPV16 DNA prevalence and p16 overexpression showed that patients with tumours showing p16 overexpression had increased hazard of death (HR=2.395; p=0.005) and disease recurrence (HR=2.581; p=0.002) irrespective of their HPV 16 DNA status. Conclusions: Our study has brought out several key facets which can potentially redefine our understanding of tongue cancer tumorigenesis. It has emphatically shown p16 overexpression to be a single important prognostic variable in defining a high risk group and depicting a poorer prognosis, thus highlighting the need for its routine assessment in tongue cancers. Another significant finding was a very poor concordance between p16 expression and HPV infection suggesting that p16 expression should possibly not be used as a surrogate marker for HPV infection in tongue cancers. Interestingly, the prognostic significance of p16 overexpression is different from that reported in oropharyngeal cancers. The mechanism of HPV independent p16 over expression in oral tongue cancers is possibly a distinct entity and needs to be further studied.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.6109-6113
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• 2012

Background: Oral cancer has become one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide and human Papillomavirus is one of the risk factors for developing oral cancer. For this study HPV18 was chosen as it is one of the high risk HPV types and may lead to carcinogenesis. However, prevalence of HPV18 infection in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Malaysia remains unclear. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the viral load of HPV18 DNA in OSCC and potentially malignant lesions using saliva samples. Materials and Methods: Genomic DNAs of thirty saliva samples of normal subjects and thirty saliva samples compromised of 16 samples from potentially malignant lesions and 14 of OSCC patients were amplified for HPV18 DNA using a nested polymerase chain reaction analysis. All PCR products were then analyzed using the Bioanalyzer to confirm presence of HPV18 DNA. Result: From thirty patients examined, only one of 30 (3.3%) cases was found to be positive for HPV18 in this study. Conclusion: The finding of this study revealed that there is a low viral detection of HPV18 in Malaysian OSCC by using saliva samples, suggesting that prevalence of HPV18 may not be important in this group of Malaysian OSCC.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.77-88
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• 2010

Ginseng has been reported to reduce the risk of cancer in diverse organs, including the lip, oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, lung, liver, pancreas, ovary, colon, rectum, and stomach, as demonstrated in clinical and epidemiological studies. studies, base on which findings, Panax ginseng has been classified as a "non-organ-specific cancer preventive." However, the recent keen interest in traditional medicinal herbs has been frequently questioned, about exact mode of action and the use of panaceic compounds has been a prime issue discussed in terms of complementary and alternative medicine. Several in vitro and in vivo studies have shown the mitigating effects of Korean red ginseng on Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-associated atrophic changes and carcinogenesis; However, evidence-based medicine, consisting of large-scale or well designed clinical studies, is still warranted whether Korean red ginseng is to be recognized as an essential therapeutic strategy regarding a "H. pylori-associated gastric cancer preventive." Specifically, comprehensive clinical trials of Korean red ginseng are needed to demonstrate that mucosal regeneration in patients with atrophic gastritis is feasible using Korean red ginseng supplements after the eradication of H. pylori infection. Ginseng is a good example of a natural herb and its ubiquitous properties may include the reduction or delay of inflammation carcinogenesis. Korean red ginseng contains ample amounts of active ginsenosides and we have demonstrated their effects in in vitro and in vivo studies with positive outcomes. In this review, the quantitative and qualitative benefits of Korean red ginseng in the treatment of H. pylori infection are described.