title: Genetic gains and losses in oral squamous cell carcinoma: impact on clinical management.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The identification of genetic markers associated with oral cancer is considered essential to improve the diagnosis, prognosis, early tumor and relapse detection and, ultimately, to delineate individualized therapeutic approaches. Here, we aimed at identifying such markers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA) analyses encompassing 133 cancer-related genes were performed on a panel of primary oral tumor samples and its corresponding resection margins (macroscopically tumor-free tissue) allowing, in both types of tissue, the detection of a wide arrange of copy number imbalances on various human chromosomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that in tumor tissue, from the 133 cancer-related genes included in this study, those that most frequently exhibited copy number gains were located on chromosomal arms 3q, 6p, 8q, 11q, 16p, 16q, 17p, 17q and 19q, whereas those most frequently exhibiting copy number losses were located on chromosomal arms 2q, 3p, 4q, 5q, 8p, 9p, 11q and 18q. Several imbalances were highlighted, i.e., losses of ERBB4, CTNNB1, NFKB1, IL2, IL12B, TUSC3, CDKN2A, CASP1, and gains of MME, BCL6, VEGF, PTK2, PTP4A3, RNF139, CCND1, FGF3, CTTN, MVP, CDH1, BRCA1, CDKN2D, BAX, as well as exon 4 of TP53. Comparisons between tumor and matched macroscopically tumor-free tissues allowed us to build a logistic regression model to predict the tissue type (benign versus malignant). In this model, the TUSC3 gene showed statistical significance, indicating that loss of this gene may serve as a good indicator of malignancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results point towards relevance of the above mentioned cancer-related genes as putative genetic markers for oral cancer. For practical clinical purposes, these genetic markers should be validated in additional studies.
authors.affiliation: Cytogenetics and Genomics Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Polo Ciências da Saúde, 3000-354, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ilda Patrícia
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caramelo
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Patrício
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Prazeres
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ferrão
authors.forename: Maria José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Julião
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castelo-Branco
authors.forename: Joana Barbosa
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: de Melo
authors.forename: Isabel Poiares
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Baptista
authors.forename: Isabel Marques
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Carreira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D056915:DNA Copy Number Variations; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D060885:Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor