title: Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase upregulation inversely correlates with lymph node metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: We investigated expression levels of Nicotinamide N-Methyltransferase (NNMT), an enzyme involved in the biotransformation of many drugs and xenobiotic compounds, in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Measurements were performed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and quantitative real-time PCR in tumor and matched adjacent healthy tissue. Interestingly, NNMT was up-regulated in most of the favorable OSCCs, while no marked NNMT expression alterations between tumor and normal mucosa were detected in most of the unfavorable OSCCs. Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses also were performed and the relationship between tumor characteristics and NNMT levels in OSCC were studied to evaluate the effectiveness of NNMT as a prognostic marker in the squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. In summary, the present study suggests that NNMT may have potential as a biomarker and a therapeutic target for OSCC.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemical Biotechnologies, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sartini
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santarelli
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Gaia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Goteri
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rubini
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ciavarella
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lo Muzio
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Emanuelli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000201:enzymology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D050903:Nicotinamide N-Methyltransferase / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C494406:NNMT protein, human; D050903:Nicotinamide N-Methyltransferase