title: Exploiting salivary miR-31 as a clinical biomarker of oral squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral carcinoma is an important malignancy throughout the world. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenously expressed, non-coding RNAs that regulate post-transcriptional levels of targeted mRNAs. MiRNA-31(miR-31) is significantly upregulated in oral carcinoma tissues and plays oncogenic roles in oral carcinogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the levels of miR-31 in saliva of patients with oral carcinoma (n = 45), oral verrucous leukoplakia (n = 10), and control healthy individuals (n = 24) by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Salivary miR-31 was significantly increased in patients with oral carcinoma at all clinical stages, including very small tumors. However, our preliminary analysis showed no increase of salivary miR-31 in patients with oral verrucous leukoplakia relative to controls. The miR-31 was more abundant in saliva than in plasma, suggesting salivary miR-31 was a more sensitive marker for oral malignancy. After excision of oral carcinoma, salivary miR-31 was remarkably reduced, indicating that most of the upregulated salivary miR-31 came from tumor tissues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results point to a potential application of salivary miR-31 as a biomarker for early detection and postoperative follow-up of oral carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Oral Biology, School of Dentistry, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; MacKay Medicine, Nursing and Management College, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chung-Ji
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shu-Chun
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Cheng-Chieh
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hui-Wen
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Kuo-Wei
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007972:Leukoplakia, Oral / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C534612:MIRN31 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs