title: RNA from brush oral cytology to measure squamous cell carcinoma gene expression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  RNA expression analysis of oral keratinocytes can be used to detect early stages of disease such as oral cancer or to monitor on-going treatment responses of the same or other oral diseases. A limitation is the inability to obtain high quality RNA from oral tissue without using biopsies. While oral cytology cell samples can be obtained from patients in a minimally invasive manner they have not been validated for quantitative analysis of RNA expression.
  
  
  METHODS
  As a starting point in the analysis of tumor markers in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), we examined RNA in brush cytology samples from hamsters treated with dibenzo[a,l]pyrene to induce oral carcinoma. Three separate samples from each animal were assessed for expression of candidate marker genes and control genes measured with real-time RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Brush oral cytology samples from normal mucosa were shown to consist almost exclusively of epithelial cells. Remarkably, ss-2 microglobulin and cytochrome p450, 1B1 (CYP1B1) RNA showed potential utility as markers of OSCC in samples obtained in this rapid and non-surgical manner.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Brush oral cytology may prove useful as a source of RNA for gene expression analysis during the progression of diseases of the oral epithelium such as OSCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine Diagnostic Sciences, Center for Molecular Biology of Oral Diseases, College of Dentistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60610, USA.
authors.forename: Joel L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Suchismita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Panda
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beam
authors.forename: Laura E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Bach
authors.forename: Guy R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Adami
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001580:Benzopyrenes; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D006224:Cricetinae; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D015870:Gene Expression; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000473:pathology; D008647:Mesocricetus; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D001580:Benzopyrenes; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; C021146:dibenzo(a,i)pyrene