@article{3143878,
    title = "Early findings of a novel established molecular diagnostic technique for
the prediction of malignant transformation in leukoplakia",
    author = "Ries, Jutta and Ponader, Sabine and Mollaoglu, Nur and Vairaktaris, and Eleftherios and Neukam, Friedrich W. and Nkenke, Emeka",
    journal = "Molecular Medicine Reports",
    year = "2009",
    volume = "2",
    number = "6",
    pages = "947-952",
    publisher = "SPANDIDOS PUBL LTD",
    issn = "1791-3004",
    doi = "10.3892/mmr_00000197",
    keywords = "melanoma-associated antigen expression; real-time reverse
transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction; oral pre-cancerous lesions;
diagnosis; oral squamous cell carcinoma",
    abstract = "To date, there are no objective parameters regarding the early
prediction of malignant transformation in leukoplakia. Expression
analysis of melanoma-associated antigens (MAGE-A) can differentiate
between healthy and already malignant transformed tissues. Thus,
expression analysis may also be used as an additional diagnostic tool
for oral pre-malignant lesions to monitor potential malignant changes.
In this study, four specimens collected from the same patient within a
year were examined. Specimens were taken from the part of the lesion
that displayed a rapid progression from fibroma to oral squamous cell
carcinoma (OSCC). Clinically and histopathologically, the oral lesion
was first diagnosed as fibroma with inflammatory infiltration, then as
leukoplakia with hyperplasia, then as leukoplakia with severe dysplasia,
and lastly as OSCC. Expression of MAGE-A1, -A3, -A4, -A6, -A10 and -A12
was investigated in the frozen tissue specimens using RT-PCR and
quantitative real-time RT-PCR. There was no expression of MAGE-A in the
specimen of fibroma with inflammatory infiltration. However, four genes
were expressed by the second specimen of leukoplakia with hyperplasia.
With the exception of MAGE-A1, all antigens were expressed in the
specimens, which were histopathologically diagnosed as leukoplakia with
severe dysplasia and OSCC. Expression analysis of six different MAGE-A
genes indicated a high potential for malignant change in the specimens
diagnosed as leukoplakia that eventually developed into OSCC. Thus,
analysis of MAGE-A expression can predict malignant transformation in
leukoplakia."
}