This study aimed to determine the whole gene expression profiles and to ascertain potential biomarkers for 22 oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) among Thai patients using the Illumina Human HT-12, V4.0 Expression BeadChip array. Result indicated 2,724 differential expressed genes composed of 1,560 up-regulated and 1,164 down-regulated genes (unpaired t-test, p-value <0.05; fold change ≥2.0 and ≤2.0). The top 9 up-regulated genes were validated in 39 OSCC cases using TaqMan real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay. Among these, the up-regulation of peptidase inhibitor 3 (PI3) and keratin 17 (KRT17) genes was harbored in all 39 OSCC patients (100%). Likewise, statistical analysis indicated that gene expression in 8 selective genes including keratin 16 (KRT16), keratin 14 (KRT14), keratinocyte differentiation-associated protein (KRTDAP), keratin 6B (KRT6B), PI3, S100 calcium binding protein A7 (S100A7), stratifin (SFN) and keratin 5 (KRT5) was significantly associated with well differentiated OSCC (p-value <0.05). Moreover, high level of KRT17 protein was significantly associated with well differentiated OSCC compared to moderately OSCC (p-value = 0.041). Notably, using nested-PCR analysis indicated all OSCC cases in this study were HPV-free. Especially, KRTDAP, PI3, SFN mRNA expression were first reported among patients with OSCC. Conclusion, the whole transcript expression study and TaqMan real-time qRT-PCR assay were relevant regarding the increase in gene expression in OSCC. In addition, the up-regulation of PI3 and KRT17 might constitute potential candidate molecular biomarkers to diagnose patients with OSCC.

这项研究旨在使用Illumina Human HT-12，V4.0表达BeadChip阵列，确定泰国患者中22种口腔鳞状细胞癌（OSCC）的完整基因表达谱并确定潜在的生物标志物。结果表明，由1,560个上调和1,164个下调的基因组成的2,724个差异表达基因（未配对t检验，p值<0.05；倍数变化≥2.0和≤2.0）。使用TaqMan实时定量逆转录酶聚合酶链反应（qRT-PCR）分析法对39例OSCC病例中的前9个上调基因进行了验证。其中，肽酶抑制剂3（PI3）和角蛋白17（KRT17）基因的上调在所有39例OSCC患者中都有（100％）。同样，统计分析表明，在包括角蛋白16（KRT16），角蛋白14（KRT14），角质形成细胞分化相关蛋白（KRTDAP），角蛋白6B（KRT6B），PI3，S100钙结合蛋白A7（S100A7），stratifin（SFN）和角蛋白5（KRT5）显着相关差异化的OSCC（p值<0.05）。此外，与中度OSCC相比，高水平的KRT17蛋白与高分化OSCC显着相关（p值= 0.041）。值得注意的是，使用巢式PCR分析表明该研究中所有OSCC病例均不含HPV。特别是KRTDAP，PI3，SFN首先在OSCC患者中报道了mRNA表达。结论，整个转录本表达研究和TaqMan实时qRT-PCR检测与OSCC基因表达的增加有关。此外，PI3和KRT17的上调可能构成诊断OSCC患者的潜在候选分子生物标记。