Lysyl oxidase-like 3 mRNA expression indicates poor survival from oral squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

Background/purpose: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is highly prevalent worldwide. Lysyl oxidase (LOX) is an important enzyme that modulates the extracellular matrix. The LOX superfamily contains LOX and LOX-like (LOXL) enzymes. The aim of the present study was to determine the expressions of LOXL genes in OSCC. Materials and methods: RT-PCR was performed to detect messenger (m)RNA expression of the LOXL genes, LOX-L1, -L3, and -L4, in paired OSCC and non-cancerous matched tissues (NCMTs). Results: Increased mRNA expressions of LOX-L1 and LOX-L3 in OSCC relative to NCMTs were identified in 41% and 65% of OSCC samples, respectively. The normalized mRNA expression of LOXL-3 was 1.11 ± 0.15 in OSCC, which was significantly higher than 0.68 ± 0.12 in NCMTs (P = 0.004). The increased expression of LOX-L3 was associated with worse survival of OSCC patients (P = 0.028). Conclusion: The results indicated the frequent increase in LOX-L3 mRNA expression in OSCC, and the value of LOX-L3 mRNA expression might have clinical uses in monitoring OSCC.

Keywords

• lysyl oxidase
• lysyl oxidase-like protein 3
• oral squamous cell carcinoma
• survival