title: Elevated gastrin-releasing peptide receptor mRNA expression in buccal mucosa: association with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Expression of gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) is elevated in mucosa adjacent to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) compared with mucosa from cancer-free controls, suggesting elevated GRPR expression may indicate presence of HNSCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured GRPR mRNA levels in histologically normal buccal mucosa from 65 surgical patients with HNSCC and 75 cancer-free control subjects using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We tested for association between GRPR expression and HNSCC and evaluated differences in patient progression-free survival (PFS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Buccal GRPR expression was higher in cases but not controls who were active smokers (p = .04). High GRPR expression was associated with HNSCC (odds ratio [OR] = 3.55; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.15-10.93), even after adjustment for age, sex, tobacco use, and sample storage time. PFS did not differ between patients with HNSCC with high versus low GRPR expression (p = .22).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated buccal GRPR expression was significantly associated with HNSCC independent of known risk factors but was not an indicator of disease prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. egloffam@upmc.edu
authors.forename: Ann Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Egloff
authors.forename: Xuwan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Autumn L Gaither
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Brian K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Trevelline
authors.forename: Marike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vuga
authors.forename: Jill M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Siegfried
authors.forename: Jennifer R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Grandis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D012372:ROC Curve; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018004:Receptors, Bombesin / Q000235:genetics*; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018004:Receptors, Bombesin