FAM3B Serves as a Biomarker for the Development and Malignancy of Oral Lichen Planus

PURPOSE: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a potentially malignant condition with unclear etiology. This study aimed to identify potential biomarkers and mechanisms for OLP progression through bioinformatics analyses. METHODS: Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets were screened to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between OLP patients and healthy individuals. The functions and enriched pathways of the DEGs were identified. Sequencing dataset GSE70665 was then used to analyze the role of DEGs in the development of OLP to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Oncomine and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases were utilized to evaluate clinicopathological characters of OSCC. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were used to identify independent prognostic factors. RESULTS: A total of 24 DEGs were identified between OLP and normal samples. FAM3B was under-expressed in OLP compared with normal samples and was further significantly downregulated in OSCC compared with OLP. Under-expression of FAM3B was significantly correlated with tumor stage and disease-specific survival (DSS), progression-free interval (PFI) and overall survival (OS) of OSCC patients. With univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis, FAM3B was an independent prognostic factor. CONCLUSION: Under-expression of FAM3B was associated with the development and malignancy of OLP. FAM3B may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker for OLP.