Expression of interleukin-17 in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma and its effect on biological behavior.

Tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is a common malignant oral cancer characterized by substantial invasion, a high rate of lymph node and distant metastasis, and a high recurrence rate. This study aims to provide new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of TSCC patients by exploring the related mechanisms that affect the migration and invasion of TSCC and inhibit the migration and spread of cancer cells. The results indicated the rate of high expression of IL-17 in cancer tissues was greater than that in tongue tissues, and the expression of IL-17 was related to the TNM stage. The expression of IL-17 in Cal-27 cells was greater than that in HOEC. With increasing IL-17 concentration, cell proliferation, migration, and invasion increased, and the apoptosis rate decreased. After adding the IL-17 inhibitor, the cell proliferation, invasion, and migration abilities decreased, the apoptosis rate increased, and the expression of JAK1and p-STAT3 decreased.IL-17 is highly expressed in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma and is involved in the occurrence and development of TSCC, possibly through the JAK‒Stat signaling pathway. This study provides a new target and theoretical basis for treating tongue squamous cell carcinoma.
Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
(© 2025. The Author(s).)