Impact of uPA system gene polymorphisms on the susceptibility of environmental factors to carcinogenesis and the development of clinicopathology of oral cancer.
BACKGROUND
The levels of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) system in tumor tissues are implicated as prognostic biomarkers in a wide range of malignancies. However, their possible impact on the risk and prognosis of oral cancer and the susceptibility of environmental carcinogens to oral cancer remains poorly investigated.


METHODS
The genetic polymorphisms of uPA, uPA receptor (uPAR), and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in 253 patients with oral cancer and 344 healthy controls.


RESULTS
There was no significant effect of uPA system genes on the susceptibility of oral cancer; however, the impact of uPA system gene polymorphisms on the susceptibility of betel nut and tobacco consumptions to oral cancer was revealed, except for that of uPAR gene polymorphism on tobacco consumption. Patients with oral cancer with at least one 5G allele of PAI-1 gene have a low risk for the development of clinical stage III or IV (p ≤ 0.05) and lymph node metastasis (p ≤ 0.05) compared with those with 4G/4G homozygotes.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that the combination of uPA system gene polymorphisms and environmental carcinogens was related to the risk of oral cancer, and the genetic polymorphism of PAI-1 was associated with a low risk to the clinicopathological development of oral cancer.
Graduate Institute of Applied Science of Living, Tainan University of Technology, Tainan, Taiwan.
Chia-Jui
CJ
Weng
Chiao-Wen
CW
Lin
Tsung-Te
TT
Chung
Chiung-Man
CM
Tsai
Mu-Kuan
MK
Chen
Shun-Fa
SF
Yang
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000556:secondary; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D015849:Plasminogen Inactivators / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D011379:Prognosis; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator / Q000235:genetics*; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000235:genetics*; D062789:Tobacco Products
D015849:Plasminogen Inactivators; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator