[mRNA expression of metastasis-suppressor gene nm23 in carcinoma of buccal mucosa. II. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR amplification].

The nm23 gene is a conspicuous metastasis-suppressor gene. The authors detected both nm23-H1 and nm23-H2 mRNA levels in 47 tissues samples of patients with carcinoma of buccal mucosa (CBM) by quantitative reverse transcription PCR amplification. The results showed that expression levels of both nm23-H1 and nm23-H2 mRNA varied in normal buccal mucosa, leukoplakia, adjacent nontumorous mucosa, submandibular gland, CBM and lymph nodes with or without metastasis. The nm23-H1 mRNA expression levels in CBM with lymph nodes metastases were lower than those in CBM without metastases (P < 0.05), while no significance of nm23-H2 mRNA expression levels was found between CBM with and CBM without metastasis (P > 0.05). The results were comparative to those of Northern blotting of the same cases. The authors concluded that, as also in the study of Northern blotting, the expression of nm23-H1 mRNA significantly correlated inversely with lymph node metastasis in CBM, while the expression of nm23-H2 mRNA not. Q-RT-PCR was a useful method to detect the mRNA levels of nm23 gene in buccal carcinoma.