Gene expression profiling reveals biological pathways responsible for phenotypic heterogeneity between UK and Sri Lankan oral squamous cell carcinomas.

Objectives: It is well recognized that oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cases from Asia that are associated with betel quid chewing are phenotypically distinct to those from Western countries that are predominantly caused by smoking/drinking, but the molecular basis of these differences are largely unknown. The aim of this study is to examine gene expression, related carcinogenic pathways and molecular processes that might be responsible for the phenotypic heterogeneity of OSCC between UK and Sri Lankan population groups.

Methods: We have compared the gene expression profiles of OSCCs and normal oral mucosal tissues from both Sri Lankan and UK individuals using Affymetrix gene expression arrays.