Altered expression levels of miR-212, miR-133b and miR-27a in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) with clinicopathological considerations

Background: microRNAs have been reported as an important player in the carcinogenesis of different tumors. Studies are implicated their involvement in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) creation and carcinogenesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression level of five miRNAs including miR-125b, miR-124a, miR-27a, miR-212, and miR-133b in TSCC specimens. Methods: Two-step reverse transcriptase quantitative using the SYBR GREEN method assay was carried out to determine the expression level of selected miRNAs in 30 pairs of TSCC tumors and adjacent non-cancerous samples. The association between clinicopathological parameters and the expression levels of microRNAs were also studied. Results: The expression level of miR-212 and miR-133 was significantly lower in tumor tissues compared to margin mucosa (p <.05). In addition, miR-27a was elevated (p < .03) while miR-124a and miR-125b had no significant changes in both groups. Conclusion: Taken together, our results indicated that miR-212, miR-133, and miR-27a are dysregulated in tumor tissues and involved in the pathogenesis of TSCC. So, they may serve as a diagnostic and therapeutic candidate in the future.