The human embryonic-lethal abnormal vision-like protein, HuR, stabilizes mRNA containing adenine- and uridine- rich elements in their 3’untranslated region. Because cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA is a cellular transcript that contains an adenine- and uridine-rich element, it can be regulated by the HuR protein. In this study, we examined the relationship between COX-2, HuR, MVD, and the clinicopathological parameters. Nineteen out of 43 cases of HNSCC showed high level of COX-2expression, and 68% of these patients showed high COX-2 immuno-reactivity indicating the strong expression of the cytoplasmic HuR protein. Also, MVD expression in the cases with high COX-2 expression was higher than in the cases with low COX-2 expression. These results suggest a strong correlation between the overexpression of cytoplasmic HuR and COX-2 expression in HNSCC, and that COX-2 is associated with MVD in HNSCC. In conclusion, COX-2 regulated by cytoplasmic HuR may be a good tumor angiogenic factor in HNSCC.

E6 and E7 as two major oncoproteins of HPV can act together to produce several tumors, providing an evidence for the role HPV in oral squamous cell tumorogenesis. It is worthy to detect E6/E7 mRNA expression of HPV in oral carcinoma. The purpose of this study were to detect HPV mRNA in HNSCC cell lines, and to use these results to confirm oral squamous cell carcinoma. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR method for E7 mRNA expression in HNSCC cell lines should play an important role in detecting the early stage of oral squamous cell carcinoma.