Relative Expression of SOX2 and OCT4 in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Oral Epithelial Dysplasia

Abstract

Background: Over 90% of oral cancers including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), originate from the oral cavity epithelium. Early detection for this lesion is as important. Evaluating cancer stem cell markers can improve the accuracy of early diagnosis, and be used as an OSCC prognostic indicator. We aimed to evaluate SOX2 and OCT4 gene expression among different grades of OSCC and oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) lesions. Methods: Sixty samples that contains 45 OSCC and 15 OED samples were retrieved from the pathology department archives at the dental school of Mashhad. Demographic and pathological patient data including the tumor stage and tumor grade were assessed. Finally, SOX2 and OCT4 expression was examined using qRT-PCR. Results: There was a significant difference in SOX2 and OCT4 expression between OSCC and OED samples (p< 0.001). The mean expression of SOX2 and OCT4 in OSCC samples were significantly higher than in the OED group (p< 0.001). The mean expression of SOX2 and OCT4 was higher in grade II and grade III OSCC compared to grade I. There was no significant relationship between the gene expression of SOX2 or OCT4 to the demographic, site and stage of tumors. The correlation between SOX2 and OCT4 expression (p= 0.001) was significant in grade III OSCC specimens compared to other grades (p= 0.005, r= 0.68). Conclusions:The increased expression of SOX2 and OCT4 in higher grades and the significant correlation of these genes with each other among OSCC specimens could suggest the role of SOX2 or OCT4 in oral mucosal carcinogenesis.

Prognostic Relevance of CD4+, CD8+ and FOXP3+ TILs in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Correlations with PD-L1 and Cancer Stem Cell Markers

“…Concordantly, analogous observation was obtained from the analysis of a series of 348 tumors located in oropharynx, hypopharynx and larynx [81], while quite remarkably, different OCT4 antibodies were employed in both studies. Ghazi et al [82] found that SOX2 expression did not correlate with OCT4 expression in OSCC. Additionally, Vijayakumar et al [83] studied 20 cases of OSCC and 20 cases of oral epithelial dysplasia (OED), and found that SOX2 expression was higher in OSCC than in OED; most cases predominantly showed high SOX2 expression accompanied by negative OCT4 expression.…”

“…OCT4 and SOX2 have been reported to play different roles in CSC biology. In the absence of OCT4 expression, neoplasms could not be initiated from normal tissues, but without SOX2 expression, the neoplastic cells could not be self-renewed to maintain tumor growth [82]. Nestin is considered a CSC marker in epithelial neoplasms and has been shown to play key roles in differentiation, proliferation, migration, invasion, metastasis and survival of malignant neoplastic cells through regulation of the cytoskeleton and progenitor cells [83].…”

Immunohistochemical and molecular profiling of CD 117, Oct-4, and Sox-2 in canine cutaneous mast cell tumor of the crossbred dogs in Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

“…Therefore, this parameter may be a better predictive biomarker for MCT oncogenesis than the others. Ultimately, we recommend conducting a further study to verify the interaction of Oct-4 and Sox-2 in MCT crossbred dogs because the co-expression frequently enhances the aggressiveness and progression of some human neoplasms [40][41][42].…”

Melatonin Induced Schwann Cell Proliferation and Dedifferentiation Through NF-ĸB, FAKDependent but Src-Independent Pathways

“…Melatonin functions through the MT1 receptor dependent extracellular signalregulated protein kinase (ERK)1/2 pathway (14). The increased expression of SOX2 is correlated to oral mucosal carcinogenesis which is speculated to be important marker in cancer stemness (15). SOX2 expression is upregulated in immature Schwann cells after PNI event (16).…”