Potential impact of omentin-1 genetic variants with the clinical features and progression of buccal mucosa cancer

Oral cancer is the fourth most prevalent cancer among Taiwanese men and the ninth most general cancer among men globally. Omentin-1, an adipokine, has been shown to play a protective role by reducing proinflammatory cytokine secretion. The relationships between carcinogenic lifestyle factors, OMNT1 polymorphisms, and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain unclear. We investigated the impact of clinicopathological features and four OMNT1 gene variants on oral cancer risk in 406 Taiwanese male patients with the condition. Compared with the TT genotype, the TA+AA genotypes of SNP rs2274907 were linked with an increased risk of advanced clinical stage (III+IV). In patients with OSCC who consumed betel quid and cigarette smoke, SNP rs2274907 was associated with a higher risk of advanced clinical stage (III+IV) and lymph node metastasis. Interestingly, the wild-type TT homozygous genotype was associated with significantly higher OMNT1 expression levels compared to the AA allele of variant rs2274907. Additionally, OMNT1 mRNA levels were lower in oral cancer tissues compared to normal tissues, indicating that omentin-1 acts as a negative regulator of oral cancer.