ONCOmmunity

Coordinated expression of cyclin-dependent kinase-4 and its regulators in human oral tumors.

By: Ming J Poi, Thomas J Knobloch, Marta T Sears, Lana K Uhrig, Blake M Warner, Christopher M Weghorst, Junan Li

Department of Pharmacy, The Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, Columbus, OH, U.S.A Division of Pharmacy Practice and Administration, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, U.S.A.
2014-7-2; doi:

Abstract

Background/aim

While aberrant expression of cyclin-dependent kinase-4 (CDK4) has been found in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN), the associations between CDK4 and its regulators, namely, cyclin D1, cyclin E, gankyrin, SEI1, and BMI1 in gene expression remain to be explored. Herein we investigated the mRNA profiles of these oncogenes and their interrelations in different oral lesion tissues.

Materials

Thirty SCCHN specimens and patient-matched high at-risk mucosa (HARM) and 16 healthy control specimens were subjected to quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analyses.

Results

The mRNA levels of CDK4, cyclin D1, gankyrin, SEI1, BMI1 were significantly elevated in both HARM and SCCHN (in comparison with control specimens), and statistically significant correlations were found among these markers in gene expression.

Conclusion

Up-regulation of CDK4 and its regulators takes place in oral cancer progression in a coordinate manner, and HARM and SCCHN share a similar molecular signature within the CDK4-pRB pathway.