Background: The present study aimed at evaluating the clinical importance of Mcm7 and Cdc6 expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and precancerous lesions.
Materials and methods: RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry analysis were performed on 47 frozen samples and 98 paraffin-embedded samples to evaluate the mRNA and protein expressions of Mcm7 and Cdc6.
Results: RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry indicated positive expressions of Mcm7 mRNA and protein in normal oral mucosa, precancerous lesions and OSCC. Significant differences were found between all the groups. Cdc6 mRNA and protein had low expressions in normal oral mucosa but were highly expressed in precancerous lesions and OSCC. Mcm7 and Cdc6 expressions in the lymph node metastasis cases were significantly higher than those of the nonmetastatic carcinomas.
Conclusion: High expressions of Mcm7 and Cdc6 are correlated with the development and metastasis of OSCC and may become a molecular marker for the early diagnosis and prognosis prediction for OSCC.