Abnormalities of the human Rb tumor suppressor gene in oral squamous cell carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the status of Retinoblastoma (Rb) gene in 30 patients with primary oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and 3 healthy control samples.


METHODS
We determined the status of Rb tumor suppressor gene in oral squamous cell carcinoma using a DNA southern blotting assay with Digoxin (Dig) labeled Rb cDNA probe.


RESULTS
The structural abnormalities of Rb tumor suppressor gene were detected in 8 of the 30 invasive OSCC samples analyzed (8/30). 7 cases contained partial gene deletion, and there was 1 case of gene rearrangement. The structural abnormality rate of Rb is 26.7%. No correlation was found between the alteration of Rb gene with the sex, age, site of primary tumor, level of histopathological differentiation, and TNM staging.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study shows that abnormalities of the Rb tumor suppressor gene occur in oral squamous cell carcinoma, which include Rb deletion and Rb rearrangement, but its abnormality rate is low.
Huang
H
H
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University of Medical Sciences, No. 107 Yanjiang W. Road, Guangzhou, 510120, P. R. China.
Wang
J
J
Li
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D015342:DNA Probes; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015321:Gene Rearrangement / Q000235:genetics; D016161:Genes, Retinoblastoma / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012737:Sex Factors
D015342:DNA Probes; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm