Expression of p53 is associated with microbial acetaldehyde production in oralsquamous cell carcinoma

Emilia Marttila; Peter Rusanen; Johanna Uittamo; Mikko Salaspuro; Riina Rautemaa-Richardson; Tuula Salo

doi:10.1016/j.oooo.2020.11.015

Expression of p53 is associated with microbial acetaldehyde production in oralsquamous cell carcinoma

Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2021 May;131(5):527-533. doi: 10.1016/j.oooo.2020.11.015. Epub 2020 Dec 8.

Authors

Emilia Marttila¹, Peter Rusanen², Johanna Uittamo³, Mikko Salaspuro⁴, Riina Rautemaa-Richardson⁵, Tuula Salo⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: Emilia.marttila@helsinki.fi.
² Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
³ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Research Unit on Acetaldehyde and Cancer, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
⁴ Research Unit on Acetaldehyde and Cancer, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
⁵ Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) at the Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester, UK.
⁶ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; HUSLAB, Department of Pathology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Diagnostics and Oral Medicine, Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Oulu, and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.

PMID: 33858805
DOI: 10.1016/j.oooo.2020.11.015

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the association between p53 expression and microbial acetaldehyde production in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Study design: Oral mucosal biopsies from 22 patients with OSCC and 24 healthy controls (HCs) were collected. p53 expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Microbial samples were collected from the mucosa and microbial acetaldehyde production from ethanol was measured by gas chromatography.

Results: The majority of all OSCC (77%) and HC samples (67%) produced mutagenic levels of acetaldehyde (>100 µM). A significant positive correlation between microbial acetaldehyde production and p53 expression levels in OSCC samples was seen in the intermediate and superficial layers of the epithelium of the infiltrative zone (P = .0005 and P = .0004, respectively) and in the superficial layer of the healthy appearing mucosa next to the tumor (P = .0391). There was no significant correlation between acetaldehyde levels and p53 expression in HC samples.

Conclusions: Our results show an association between microbial acetaldehyde production and immunostaining of p53 in OSCC samples.

MeSH terms

Acetaldehyde
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell*
Head and Neck Neoplasms*
Humans
Mouth Neoplasms*
Tumor Suppressor Protein p53

Substances

Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
Acetaldehyde