Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common oral malignancies, which accounts for 80-90% of malignant neoplasms of the oral cavity. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNA molecules that regulate post-transcriptional gene expression by targeting mRNAs. Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, 40 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma and 40 healthy individuals as control were studied. Blood samples were collected from both groups. Also, 30 cancer tissue samples and 30

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... althy tissue samples were prepared and evaluated. RNA was extracted from collected peripheral blood and tissue samples and evaluated for the expression level of miR-494 via real-time PCR technique. P. value values<0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: The expression level of miR-494 in serum (peripheral blood) of patients with oral squa- mous cell carcinoma increased by 1.12 fold (P-value<0.001) compared with healthy individuals. Also, the expression level of miR-494 in samples of oral squamous cell carcinoma infected tissue showed a 1.28-fold increase compared to healthy tissue. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate an increase in the expression level (up-regula- tion) of miR-494 in oral squamous cell carcinoma. This biomarker can be used in screening and early detection of oral squamous cell carcinoma.