Porphyromonas gingivalis outer membrane vesicles augments proliferation and metastasis of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells.

Abstract

Background: Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) is closely related to Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), and P. gingivalis outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) is the main pathogenic factor, which is associated with periodontitis, atherosclerosis and other diseases. However, few studies have reported an association between P. gingivalis OMVs and OSCC. The purpose of this study was to establish the clinical relationship between P. gingivalis and OSCC based on clinical samples. Further, the effect of P. gingivalis OMVs on OSCC was observed with cell model in vitro, and the possible molecular mechanism was discussed.

Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the abundance of P. gingivalis in OSCC and its paired paracancer tissues, and to analyze the correlation between P. gingivalis and clinicopathological parameters of patients. P. gingivalis OMVs were isolated to observe its effects on the proliferation and migration of OSCC cell lines. RNA-seq was performed and the expression of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was detected by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) to explore the potential mechnism of P. gingivalis OMVs on OSCC progression.

Results: The abundance of P. gingivalis in OSCC was higher than that in para-cancerous tissues, and was positively correlated with the degree of tissue differentiation (P = 0.028), T stage (P < 0.001), and clinical stage (P = 0.011). P. gingivalis OMVs promoted the proliferation and migration of HN6 cells, and promoted the proliferation of CAL27 cells, but had no significant effect on its migration. P. gingivalis OMVs treatment attenuated the expressions of TNFSF15, ZNF292, ATRX, ASPM and KIF20B in CAL27 and HN6 cells.

Conclusion: This study suggests that P. gingivalis may be an indicator of poor prognosis for OSCC. P. gingivalis OMVs may down-regulate the expression of TNFSF15, ZNF292, ATRX, ASPM, KIF20B and participate in the occurrence and development of OSCC.