Network analysis reveals miRNA crosstalk between periodontitis and oral squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the malignant tumors with a poor prognosis. Periodontitis (PD is considered a high-risk factor for OSCC, but the genetic mechanism is rarely studied. This study aims to link OSCC and PD by identifying common differentially expressed miRNAs (Co-DEmiRNAs), their related genes (Hub genes), transcription factors (TFs), signaling pathways, enrichment functions, and compounds, and searching for genetic commonalities. METHODS: The miRNAs expression datasets of OSCC and PD were searched from the GEO database. The miRNA and related crosstalk mechanism between OSCC and PD was obtained through a series of analyses. RESULTS: hsa-mir-497, hsa-mir-224, hsa-mir-210, hsa-mir-29c, hsa-mir-486-5p, and hsa-mir-31are the top miRNA nodes in Co-DEmiRNA-Target networks. The most significant candidate miRNA dysregulation genes are ZNF460, FBN1, CDK6, BTG2, and CBX6, while the most important dysregulation TF includes HIF1A, TP53, E2F1, MYCN, and JUN. 5-fluorouracil, Ginsenoside, Rh2, and Formaldehyde are the most correlated compounds. Enrichment analysis revealed cancer-related pathways and so on. CONCLUSIONS: The comprehensive analysis reveals the interacting genetic and molecular mechanism between OSCC and PD, linking both and providing a foundation for future basic and clinical research. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12903-022-02704-2.