Expression pattern of lncRNA H19 in oral squamous cell carcinoma tissues in comparison to normal tissues. A systematic review

Abstract

Background

With a high mortality rate, oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), accounts for more than 90 % of all mouth cancers and is a major global health concern. The necessity for trustworthy biomarkers is highlighted by the fact that early diagnosis and prognosis are still difficult despite advancements. A key factor in cancer biology, the long non-coding RNA H19 was first discovered for its function in embryogenesis. H19, reactivated in cancers, interacts with microRNAs and signaling pathways such as p53 and PI3K/AKT to affect tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis. Nevertheless, its expression patterns in OSCC in contrast to healthy tissues remain unclear. The evidence currently available about H19's expression in OSCC is assessed in this review.

Methods

The keywords H19 or lncRNA H19 or long non-coding RNA H19″ AND “oral cancer or oral squamous cell carcinoma or tongue squamous cell carcinoma or OSCC” were used to search databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Clinical Key on 9th December 2024. In addition, the authors manually scanned the reference lists of the included studies or relevant reviews identified through the search to ensure literature saturation. Following the exclusion of duplicates and irrelevant articles, full-text screening of the remaining articles was done to select the articles based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Risk of Bias in the included studies was evaluated using the Newcastle Ottawa scale (NOS).

Results

Of 95 articles obtained (55 from PubMed, 19 from Scopus, 20 from Clinical Key, and 1 from cross-reference), 56 duplicates or irrelevant articles were eliminated. Of the 39 articles, only eight were selected after the full-text screening of nine articles based on eligibility criteria. All the articles reported a low risk of bias and all the studies reported a change in the expression pattern of H19 in oral squamous cell carcinoma compared to the control.

Conclusion

Despite some variability in the direction of changes in H19 expression, most studies have shown its dysregulation in OSCC tissues, highlighting its significance in the pathogenesis of OSCC.