Differential expression of circular RNA in oral squamous cell carcinoma

To analyze circular RNA (circRNA) expression profiles in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and its clinical significance.

The expression of circRNA was detected with circRNA microarray assay in three samples of OSCC tumor and matched adjacent tissues. Quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to verify the expression of circRNA in 45 pair OSCC tissues and normal adjacent tissues. The relationship between the expression of circRNA and the clinicopathological characteristics of OSCC was analyzed. circRNAs/miRNAs interaction were predicted using Arraystar' s home-made miRNA target prediction software.

155 circRNAs were differentially expressed between the OSCC tissues and matched adjacent tissues, of which 45 circRNAs were up-regulated and 110 circRNAs were down-regulated in OSCC tissues (fold changes ≥1.5 and P < 0.05). In the selected three circRNAs that were most significantly upregulated or downregulated in OSCC, the RT-qPCR results showed that hsa_circ_0001874, hsa_circ_0001971 and has_circ_0067934 were increased, while hsa_circ_0000520, hsa_circ_0023944 and hsa_circ_0000140 were decreased in OSCC tissues versus normal adjacent tissues (P < 0.001). The results were generally consistent with the microarray data. Among the circRNA expression profiles in OSCC, the up-regulation of hsa_circ_0001874 was the highest and the expression of hsa_circ_0001874 was significantly correlated with TNM stage and tumor grade. The result of Arraystar' s home-made miRNA target prediction software indicated that miR-103a-3p, miR-107, miR-593-5p, miR-661 and miR-662 may be potential target genes of hsa_circ_0001874.

The differentially expressed circRNAs in OSCC tissues and normal adjacent tissues were identified, and these dysregulated circRNAs and their potential target gents may play important roles in the development of OSCC.