DJ-1 Oncogene as a Potential Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker for Head and Neck Cancer

Rey A De La Torre; Mourad Kerdjoudj; Hilal Arnouk

doi:10.7759/cureus.36229

DJ-1 Oncogene as a Potential Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker for Head and Neck Cancer

Cureus. 2023 Mar 16;15(3):e36229. doi: 10.7759/cureus.36229. eCollection 2023 Mar.

Authors

Rey A De La Torre¹, Mourad Kerdjoudj², Hilal Arnouk^{3

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Affiliations

¹ Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Glendale, USA.
² Medicine, Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, Downers Grove, USA.
³ Pathology, Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, Downers Grove, USA.
⁴ Pathology, Midwestern University Chicago College of Graduate Studies, Downers Grove, USA.
⁵ Molecular Pathology, Midwestern University Chicago Precision Medicine Program, Downers Grove, USA.
⁶ Pathology, Midwestern University Chicago College of Dental Medicine, Downers Grove, USA.
⁷ Pathology, Midwestern University Chicago College of Optometry, Downers Grove, USA.

Abstract

Background Current methods used to diagnose and prognosticate oropharyngeal cancer have contributed to unfavorable patient survival rates that have not significantly improved for the last several decades. Precision medicine oncology relies on molecular diagnostics and biomarkers to supplement existing methods of detecting and prognosticating cancers. This study evaluated the expression of DJ-1, an oncogene that is implicated in the pathogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), the most common type of head and neck cancer, to determine its utility as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker. Methodology Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed on 13 normal oral mucosa tissue samples and 143 OSCC tissue samples of varying histopathological grades. Computer-assisted image analysis was performed using the Aperio ImageScope software from Leica Biosystems (Buffalo Grove, IL), which utilizes an algorithm of positive pixel counting for the quantification of immunoreactivity and the percentage of positive cell staining, generating a histo-score (H-score). The comparisons of the average H-scores of the different groups were made using a two-tailed T-test with P ≤ 0.05 set as the level of significance. Results The study found a significant increase in DJ-1 expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma tissue samples in comparison to the normal oral mucosa tissue samples. Additionally, the study documented a significant upregulation in DJ-1 expression in the OSCC tissue samples with high histopathological grades compared to the OSCC tissue samples with low histopathological grades. Conclusions DJ-1 expression patterns were able to reliably differentiate between oral squamous cell carcinoma and the normal counterpart tissues of the oral mucosa, thereby highlighting its role as a potential diagnostic biomarker. Moreover, DJ-1 expression significantly correlates with the OSCC histological grade, which serves as an indicator of the differentiation status and a predictor of the biological behavior of malignant neoplasms, adding to DJ-1's potential utility as a prognostic biomarker for this common type of head and neck cancer.

Keywords: computer-assisted image analysis; diagnostic biomarkers; dj-1; head and neck cancer; immunohistochemistry (ihc); oral cancer; oral squamous cell carcinoma; oscc; precision medicine oncology; prognostic biomarkers.