Stage-specific analysis of targeted microRNAs in oral squamous cell carcinoma and their association with the use of naswar.

Purpose: The present study was conducted to correlate the expression of the targeted microRNAs with the stages of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), and to evaluate expression differences among naswar users with and without OSCC.

Methods: This prospective study examined saliva from 32 healthy controls, 32 habitual naswar users without OSCC, and 96 OSCC patients who were further categorized into three groups - stage I+II, stage III, and stage IV - each comprising 32 patients. Using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), the expression status of the targeted miRNAs was assessed for its association with OSCC stages and naswar use. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to assess the discriminative potential of candidate miRNAs between stages.

Results: Significant correlations were observed for all of the targeted miRNAs. Highly significant (P < 0.001) pairwise differences in expression were detected among upregulated miRNAs (miR-21, miR-31, and miR-146a) across all stages of OSCC. In contrast, for downregulated miR-375, a highly significant difference was found between the control group and stage I+II. Pairwise significance for naswar use was highest for miR-146a.

Conclusion: Among the targeted miRNAs, miR-146a exhibited the highest potential for discriminating between the stages of OSCC, and use as a screening tool for any naswar-linked risk.