ENHANCEMENT OF CALCYCLIN GENE RNA EXPRESSION IN SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA OF THE ORAL-MUCOSA, BUT NOT IN BENIGN LESIONS

Oral cancer is a neoplasm with some known causes. Proliferation genes are significant among its few pathogenetic and prognostic factors. Cal cyclin is a cell-cycle-related gene, the function of which is still un clear. Its expression and that of Ha-ras and histone-H3 have been inve stigated in an assessment of their pathogenetic role in squamous cell carcinoma. RNA extracted from the pathological and normal mucosa of pa tients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and benign lesions was rever se transcribed and amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). T he expression of all three genes in the pathological mucosa was enhanc ed in SCC only. This suggests that they may be involved in its pathoge nesis and provides another parameter for the differentiation of malign ant and benign lesions.