Expression of Oct-4 in oncogenic miR-155-positive oral squamous carcinoma cells

Purpose: To identify effective molecular diagnostic methods for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) to facilitate treatment of the disease in its initial stages. Methods: To identify molecular markers, OSCC tissue samples were collected from cancer patients and healthy controls. CD44+ cells were sorted using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Immunohistochemistry and immunostaining experiments were performed to identify markers for OSCC. Results: The qRT-PCR data confirmed the presence of oncogenic miR-155 in the OSCC samples. The immunohistochemical and immunostaining results confirmed the expression of Oct-4, an important target for the early diagnosis of OSCC, in oncogenic miR-155-positive OSCCs. Conclusion: Detection of the expression of miR-155 and Oct-4, which are key molecular markers, may be useful in improving the early diagnosis of OSCC.