Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) accounts for approximately 90% of malignant epithelial tumors in the oral and maxillofacial region, which is characterized by a high metastatic potential and an unfavorable prognosis. The specific process of oral mucosal carcinogenesis and progression is very complicated.
Methods: Five OSCC patients' cancer tissues and paracancerous tissues were collected for whole transcriptome sequencing analysis to screen differentially expressed mRNA, long-stranded noncoding RNA (lncRNA), and circular RNA (circRNA) and bioinformatics [gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis with genomic database (KEGG) pathway analysis and transcript enrichment analysis, etc.]. Target molecules closely associated with oral squamous cell carcinogenesis, migration, and invasion were identified using a miRNA-circRNA association network.
Results: We screened 2310 mRNAs differentially expressed in cancer and paraneoplastic tissues, of which 1019 were upregulated and 1291 were downregulated; 14216 differentially expressed lncRNAs, of which 8829 were upregulated and 5387 were downregulated; and 167 differentially expressed circRNAs, of which 18 were upregulated and 149 were downregulated. Oral squamous cell carcinoma cells had a higher level of hsa_circ_0001847 expression than hok cells (P<0.05). Reduced hsa_circ_0001847 expression inhibited oral squamous cell carcinoma cell proliferation, migration, and invasiveness (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Oral tissues contain differentially expressed mRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs, and these differentially expressed mRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs may be involved in the development of OSCC.