Expression, Role and Mechanism of IL-6 in the Malignant Transformation of Oral Precancerous Lesions

Qu Y, Fu J, Liu Y, Qin L and Han Z

Department of Oral and Maxillofacial & Head and Neck Oncology, Beijing Stomatological Hospital, Capital Medical University, China
Department of Periodontics and Laboratory of Tissue Regeneration and Immunology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Tooth Regeneration and Function Reconstruction, School of Stomatology, Capital Medical University, China

^*Correspondance to: Lizheng Qin 

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Abstract:

Objective: Most clinical oral cancers develop from oral precancerous lesions. As an important proinflammatory cytokine, IL-6 has been suggested to be closely related to the occurrence and malignant transformation of oral precancerous lesions. This review will examine the expression and role of IL-6 in common oral precancerous lesions and the possible mechanisms of malignant transformation to identify new therapeutic targets and prevent cancer. Methods: A literature review based on PubMed publications in the last two decades was performed to summarize progresses of IL-6 in several common oral precancerous lesions. Results: Most studies have demonstrated that the level of IL-6 is increased in oral precancerous lesions compared with the control group, and there is a potential positive correlation between the level of IL-6 and the malignant transformation degree of lesions. In addition, IL-6 may promote the malignant transformation of oral precancerous lesions by regulating the methylation of tumor suppressor genes, affecting the status of fibroblasts and cancerous cells in the microenvironment, and inhibiting the infiltration and function of T cells. Conclusion: This review provides new ideas for how IL-6 promotes the malignant transformation of oral precancerous lesions, which is helpful for the development of related research in the future.

Keywords:

Oral precancerous lesions; Interleukin-6; Malignant transformation; Leukoplakia

Cite the Article:

Qu Y, Fu J, Liu Y, Qin L, Han Z. Expression, Role and Mechanism of IL-6 in the Malignant Transformation of Oral Precancerous Lesions. Clin Oncol. 2023;8:2034..