C-myc amplification in precancerous lesions of oral cavity and larynx

Abstract

Although myc genes are an important family of oncogenes involved in human carcinogenesis, data concerning its role in head and neck tumors are quite limited. Moreover, information regarding precancerous lesions is almost inexisting. In order to better understand mechanisms of progression of premalignant lesions into malignant and the possible role of c-myc amplification, the status of this oncogene was analyzed in two types of pathological changes known to possess malignant transformation potential oral leukoplakia and chronic laryngitis. In the first type of lesions a high percentage of c-myc activation (33%) was observed pointing to a probable role of myc in leukoplakia malignant transformation, while in the other type of lesion there were no signs of myc amplification.

C-myc spada u red onkogena sa važnom ulogom u humanoj kancerogenezi, međutim malo je podataka u literaturi o promenama ovog gena u malignim i premalignim lezijama glave i vrata. Sa ciljem da se bolje upoznaju mehanizmi evolucije prekanceroznih lezija u prave kancere sa naglaskom na c-myc onkogen, analiziran je njegov status u dva tipa promena za koje se zna da imaju maligni potencijal: oralnim leukoplakijama i hroničnim laringitisima. U prvom tipu lezija ustanovljen je visok stepen (33%) aktivacije myc-onkogena, što bi ukazivalo na značaj ove promene u malignoj transformaciji leukoplakija, dok u drugom nije nađen nijedan uzorak sa ovom promenom.