title: Impact of somatic mutations in the D-loop of mitochondrial DNA on the survival of oral squamous cell carcinoma patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate somatic mutations in the D-loop of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and their impact on survival in oral squamous cell carcinoma patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surgical specimen confirmed by pathological examination and corresponding non-cancerous tissues were collected from 120 oral squamous cell carcinoma patients. The sequence in the D-loop of mtDNA from non-cancerous tissues was compared with that from paired cancer samples and any sequence differences were recognized as somatic mutations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Somatic mutations in the D-loop of mtDNA were identified in 75 (62.5%) oral squamous cell carcinoma patients and most of them occurred in the poly-C tract. Although there were no significant differences in demographic and tumor-related features between participants with and without somatic mutation, the mutation group had a better survival rate (5 year disease-specific survival rate: 64.0% vs. 43.0%, P = 0.0266).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Somatic mutation in D-loop of mtDNA was associated with a better survival in oral squamous cell carcinoma patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jin-Ching
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chen-Chi
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Rong-San
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Hung-Kuang University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Yi
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shih-An
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D009154:Mutation; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial