Long noncoding RNA MEG3 decreases the growth of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma by regulating the expression of miR-421 and E-cadherin.

BACKGROUND: Maternally expressed 3 (MEG3), a long chain noncoding RNA (lncRNA), has verified its function as a suppressor in several kinds of cancers. However, the downstream mechanism of MEG3 in regulating the molecular mechanism of epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) progression demands further investigation. METHODS: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to determine the expression level of MEG3 in HNSCC and adjacent normal tissues of 51 cases. Luciferase report assay was used to detect the correlation between miR-421 and MEG3, and miR-421 and E-cadherin in HNSCC cell lines. Cell invasion and proliferation capacity were assessed through transwell and CCK8 assays. Scratch wound assay was used to assess cell migration capacity. RESULTS: Firstly, this study demonstrated that the expression of MEG3 was significantly downregulated in HNSCC compared to adjacent normal tissues. Overexpressed MEG3 inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. Secondly, MEG3 upregulated the expression of E-cadherin, which was instead downregulated by miR-421. MiR-421 was negatively regulated by MEG3 in HNSCC. Therefore, MEG3 regulated EMT by sponging miR-421 targeting E-cadherin in HNSCC. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated that the MEG3-miR-421-E-cadherin axis could be a new therapeutic target for HNSCC.

Association of long non-coding RNA MEG3 polymorphisms with oral squamous cell carcinoma risk.

OBJECTIVE: Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) MEG3 was associated with multiple types of cancers such as oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) might affect cancer risk by modifying the function of lncRNAs. But fewer study researched the relationship between SNPs and MEG3 in cancers. Considering these reasons, we supposed SNPs in MEG3 may influence the risk of OSCC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The selected SNPs in MEG3 were genotyped in 1,428 subjects (444 patients with OSCC and 984 cancer-free controls). The relationship between SNPs in MEG3 and OSCC risk was calculated by logistic regression analysis. The function of the SNPs was explored by luciferase activity assay. RESULTS: A statistically significant increased risk was observed between rs11160608 and OSCC (Dominant model: adjusted OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.06-1.76, p = 0.017). Moreover, the effect of rs11160608 CC genotype with OSCC risk was much strong in drinkers than non-drinkers (adjusted OR = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.17-2.73, p = 0.007). Furthermore, the luciferase activity of rs11160608 A allele was lower than rs11160608 C allele by luciferase reporter assay. CONCLUSION: Our study confirmed that the SNP rs11160608 in MEG3 might play an important role in OSCC by interring the binding of miRNA.

Effect of Navigation System on Removal of Foreign Bodies in Head and Neck Surgery.

Foreign bodies retained in oral and maxillofacial regions include different types and properties. Road traffic accident is one of the major causes of the maxillofacial trauma. Foreign bodies can cause direct or indirect damage to the body, even life-threatening. It is a demanding procedure to detect the accurate position and implement surgical removal of the embedded fragments in the soft tissue in clinic.Usually, foreign bodies are close to important structures such as the head and neck region with limited intraoperative visibility and anatomical intricacies. Therefore, the key to remove foreign bodies in head and neck surgery is precise localization and reasonable surgical approaches. The authors reported that the foreign bodies adjacent to large vessels in a case were successfully removed assisted by AccuNavi-A surgical navigation system.

Genetic variants in lncRNA H19 are associated with the risk of oral squamous cell carcinoma in a Chinese population.

To evaluate whether the genetic variants in H19 influence the risk of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in a Chinese population, a case-control study was conducted to analyze four functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in H19. The cohort comprised of 444 OSCC cases and 984 healthy controls, and the study further evaluated the biological effect by bioinformatics prediction and functional experiments. Two SNPs, rs217727 and rs2839701, were found to be associated with the risk of OSCC [rs217727: odds ratio (OR) = 1.32, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.11-1.58, P = 0.002; rs2839701: OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.04-1.46, P = 0.019].Bioinformatics predicted that rs2839701 C>G might alter the secondary structure of H19. In addition, rs2839701 C>G inhibited the transcription activity and was correlated with the decreased expression of downstream gene MRPL23-AS1 that was downregulated in OSCC. The current results suggested that the SNPs in H19 may play a major role in genetic susceptibility to OSCC.

Association between BRCA1 P871L polymorphism and cancer risk: evidence from a meta-analysis.

Breast cancer 1 (BRCA1) gene makes great contributions to the repair of DNA. The association between BRCA1 P871L polymorphism and cancer risk has been investigated in a growing number of studies, but the conclusions are not conclusive. To obtain a comprehensive conclusion, we performed a meta-analysis of 24 studies with 13762 cases and 22388 controls. The pooled results indicated that BRCA1 gene P871L variant decreased risk of overall cancer (homozygous model: odds ratio (OR) = 0.89, 95%confidence interval (CI) = 0.79-1.00; recessive model: OR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.80-0.99). The stratified analysis observed decreased risk associated with BRCA1 P871L in subgroups among Asians and high score studies, but not Caucasians or low score studies. In conclusion, despite several limitations, this meta-analysis suggested that BRCA1 P871L genetic variation may be associated with decreased susceptibility to cancer.