The immunohistochemical expression of TS, OPRT and DPD were retrospectively analyzed in tumor biopsy and resection specimens from patients with advanced SCC (n=32).
The relative gene expression value of DPD was significantly greater in adenocarcinomas than those in squamous cell carcinomas, 2.33 +/- 1.22 versus 1.50 +/- 1.20 (P = 0.01).
Orotate phosphoribosyl transferase mRNA expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma and its relationship with the dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase expression and the clinical effect of 5-fluorouracil.
These observations suggest that intra-tumoral levels of DPD mRNA may predict the tumor response to 5-FU-based chemo-immuno-radiation therapy in the patients with oral SCC.