Expression of cytokeratin 17 mRNA in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells obtained by brush biopsy: preliminary results.

Background:  The aim of this study was to determine the detection of cytokeratin (CK) mRNA in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells and to evaluate the CK relevance for OSCC diagnosis in a brush biopsy test. Methods:  Fifty-two pairs of OSCC cells and normal oral mucosal cells were obtained by brush biopsy from OSCC patients. mRNA was extracted from cell pellets for real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The over-expression levels of CK 17, CK 19 and CK 20 mRNA in OSCC cells were examined by SYBR green real-time RT-qPCR. Results:  Compared to normal mucosal cells, the over-expression of CK 17 mRNA was detectable in 40 OSCC cells (76.9%), that o…