Survivin gene-expression and splicing isoforms in oral squamous cell carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Survivin, an inhibitor of apoptosis protein and a cell cycle regulator, has been detected in the majority of human cancers. Five splice variants (survivin, survivin-2alpha, survivin-2B, survivin-3B, and survivin-DeltaEx3) have been identified; their expressions have been investigated here.


METHODS
By means of RT real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry, we have evaluated survivin isoform expressions at both mRNA and protein levels in human normal oral tissue, precancerous lesions, and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Their correlations with the pathological findings have also been analyzed.


RESULTS
Expression levels of all survivin transcript variants were markedly elevated in OSCC when compared to normal tissues. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed highly significant up-regulation of survivin (P = 0.001), survivin-DeltaEx3 (P = 0.001) and survivin-2B (P = 0.004), whereas survivin-3B showed a minor increase in OSCC compared to normal mucosa.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that survivin isoforms deregulation may have significant implications in tumor aggressiveness and prognosis.
De Maria
Salvatore
S
Department of Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
Pannone
Giuseppe
G
Bufo
Pantaleo
P
Santoro
Angela
A
Serpico
Rosario
R
Metafora
Salvatore
S
Rubini
Corrado
C
Pasquali
Daniela
D
Papagerakis
Silvana M
SM
Staibano
Stefania
S
De Rosa
Gaetano
G
Farina
Ernesto
E
Emanuelli
Monica
M
Santarelli
Andrea
A
Mariggiò
Maria Ada
MA
Lo Russo
Lucio
L
Lo Muzio
Lorenzo
L
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017398:Alternative Splicing; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011379:Prognosis; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D000077022:Survivin
C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000077022:Survivin