An Insight into Survivin in Relevance to Hematological, Biochemical and Genetic Characteristics in Tobacco Chewers with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Susanna Theophilus Yesupatham; C D Dayanand; S M Azeem Mohiyuddin; M L Harendra Kumar

doi:10.3390/cells12101444

An Insight into Survivin in Relevance to Hematological, Biochemical and Genetic Characteristics in Tobacco Chewers with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Cells. 2023 May 22;12(10):1444. doi: 10.3390/cells12101444.

Authors

Susanna Theophilus Yesupatham¹, C D Dayanand², S M Azeem Mohiyuddin³, M L Harendra Kumar⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biochemistry, Sri Devaraj Urs Academy of Higher Education and Research, Tamaka, Kolar 563103, Karnataka, India.
² Allied Health and Basic Sciences, Sri Devaraj Urs Academy of Higher Education and Research, Tamaka, Kolar 563103, Karnataka, India.
³ Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Sri Devaraj Urs Academy of Higher Education and Research, Tamaka, Kolar 563103, Karnataka, India.
⁴ Department of Pathology, Shridevi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Hospital, Sira Road, Tumakuru 572106, Karnataka, India.

Abstract

Background: Survivin is an inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP), encoded by the Baculoviral IAP Repeat Containing 5 (BIRC5) gene located on q arm (25.3) on chromosome 17. It is expressed in various human cancers and involved in tumor resistance to radiation and chemotherapy. The genetic analysis of the BIRC5 gene and its protein survivin levels in buccal tissue related to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in South Indian tobacco chewers has not been studied. Hence, the study was designed to quantify survivin in buccal tissue and its association with pretreatment hematological parameters and to analyze the BIRC5 gene sequence.

Method: In a single centric case control study, buccal tissue survivin levels were measured by ELISA. A total of 189 study subjects were categorized into Group 1 (n = 63) habitual tobacco chewers with OSCC, Group 2 (n = 63) habitual tobacco chewers without OSCC, and Group 3 (n = 63) healthy subjects as control. Retrospective hematological data were collected from Group 1 subjects and statistically analyzed. The BIRC5 gene was sequenced and data were analyzed using a bioinformatics tool.

Results: Survivin protein mean ± SD in Group 1 was (1670.9 ± 796.21 pg/mL), in Group 2 it was (1096.02 ± 346.17 pg/mL), and in Group 3 it was (397.5 ± 96.1 pg/mL) with significance (p < 0.001). Survivin levels showed significance with cut-off levels of absolute monocyte count (AMC), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and lymphocyte/monocyte ratio (LMR) at (p = 0.001). The unique variants found only in OSCC patients were T → G in the promoter region, G → C in exon 3, C → A, A → G, G → T, T → G, A → C, G → A in exon 4, C → A, G → T, G → C in the exon 5 region.

Conclusions: The tissue survivin level increased in OSCC patients compared to controls; pretreatment AMC, LMR, and NLR may serve as add-on markers along with survivin to measure the progression of OSCC. Unique mutations in the promoter and exons 3-5 were observed in sequence analysis and were associated with survivin concentrations.

Keywords: BIRC5; LMR; NLR; OSCC; PLR; nicotine; survivin.

MeSH terms

Adult
Aged
Cheek
Female
Humans
Leukocyte Count
Lymphocytes
Male
Middle Aged
Monocytes
Mouth Neoplasms* / blood
Mouth Neoplasms* / genetics
Mouth Neoplasms* / metabolism
Mutation
Promoter Regions, Genetic
Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck* / blood
Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck* / genetics
Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck* / metabolism
Survivin* / genetics
Survivin* / metabolism
Tobacco Use* / genetics
Tobacco Use* / metabolism
Tobacco, Smokeless* / adverse effects

Substances

BIRC5 protein, human
Survivin

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.