Effect of HPV status, smoking and alcohol consumption, on miRNA expression in oral cancer - a review of the literature

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common cancer type arising in the oral cavity and belongs to the wider group of head and neck cancers (HNCs).MicroRNAs (miRNAs) in mature form are noncoding RNAs, that regulate posttranscriptional gene expression by relatively nonspecific binding.As a result a single miRNA may regulate/control the expression of several genes which are involved in a variety of cellular processes like regulation of cellular differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis thus playing a role in cancer development.The AIM of this review was to summarize current findings on the effect of HPV status and presence of risk factors - smoking and alcohol consumption on miRNA expression as cancer biomarkers in patients with OSCC.