Affiliations: [a] Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Section of Oral Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy | [b] Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Section of Maxillo-facial Surgery at Policlinico S. Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna, Italy | [c] Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Section of Anatomic Pathology at Bellaria Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy | [d] Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Functional MR Unit, IRCCS Istituto Delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Davide B. Gissi, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Section of Oral Sciences, University of Bologna, Via San Vitale 59, Bologna, 40159, Italy. Tel.: +39 51 2088123; E-mail: davide.gissi@unibo.it.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: A non-invasive sampling procedure for the early detection of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) based on DNA methylation analysis of a panel of 13 genes was applied in 4 different OSCC risk-group of patients. Aim of the study is to evaluate the between-group differences and the variables related to the methylation profile of each group. METHODS: Oral brushing samples were collected from 54 healthy subjects, 31 Oral Leukoplakia (OL) patients, 18 Oral Lichen Planus (OLP) patients and 26 patients previously treated for OSCC. Each sample was considered positive or negative in relation to a predefined cut-off value. RESULTS: None of the samples from 54 healthy subjects were positive, whereas 22/31 OL, 3/18 OLP and 8/26 surgically treated OSCC samples showed positive values with respect to the cut-off. In OL patients, dysplasia was the only variable significantly related to positive values: 10/10 OLs with high-grade dysplasia were positive with respect to 12/21 OLs without dysplasia (Chi 6.039, p< 0.05). CONCLUSION: DNA methylation analysis in epithelial cells collected by oral brushing seems to be a promising genetic method to distinguish lesions at high risk of developing OSCC. Larger population studies and an adequate follow-up period are necessary to confirm these preliminary data.
