Reza Zare - Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Kazem Anvari - Department of Radiotherapy Oncology and Cancer Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Farnaz Mohajertehran - Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran & Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Alieh Farshbaf - Dental Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Atessa Pakfetrat - Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Amir Houshang Ansari - Student research committee, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Maryam Ghelichli - Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran.
Nooshin Mohtasham* - Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

Background: The oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) composes about ۹۰% of all head and neck cancers. The toll-like receptor (TLR)+ immune cells have potential of invasion and malignancy transformation. The aim of this study was assessment of possible associations between clinicopathological indices and TLR۲ and TLR۹ gene expression in OSCC. Methods: Forty-two OSCC samples with related healthy margins including ۲۵ early and ۱۷ advanced stages were gathered. The samples were classified histologically from grade I to II. The expression of TLR۲ and TLR۲ was evaluated by Real-time PCR. The patient’s disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using SPSS V.۲۳ software. Results: The expression of TLR۲ and TLR۹ genes in tumor tissues (especially in grade I and II) were higher than healthy surgical margin tissue (p< ۰.۰۰۱). TLR۹ expression in grade II was statistically significant than grade I in tumor tissue (p< ۰.۰۰۱). TLR۹ expression in advanced stage was statistically significant in compare to early stage (p= ۰.۰۱۲). In advanced stage both overall survival (p= ۰.۰۲۹) and disease-free survival (p= ۰.۰۱۲) were statistically lower than early stage. The follow-up time to recurrence in advanced stage was statistically lower than early stage (p= ۰.۰۰۷). Conclusions: Overexpression of TLRs ۲, ۹ play role in the pathogenesis and tumor development of OSCC and can be applied as biomarker in prognostic approaches.

Disease-free survival, Oral squamous cell carcinoma, Overall survival, TLR۲, TLR۹.