Abstract: Objective　To analyze the differentially expressed genes of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) from normal people through biological information analysis, to discuss the key genes and pathways from molecular level, and to preliminarily investigate the gene landmarks of the occurrence and development of OSCC. Methods Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between OSCC and control tissue samples from the GSE3524 and GSE6631 gene expression profile dataset were screened. The Gene Ontology (GO), the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analyses were performed. Furthermore, key genes on the survival of patients with OSCC were analyzed. Results A total of 129 DEGs were identified, including 45 up-regulated and 84 down-regulated genes. GO, KEGG and PPI network analyses were performed. In addition, the high expression of the hub genes from the PPI network (including secreted phosphoprotein 1, matrix metalloproteinase 1, serpin family E member 1 and plasminogen activator, urokinase; P= 0.045, 0.046, 0.0024 and 0.00049, respectively) was associated with a decrease in overall survival for patients with OSCC as identified using survival and expression data. Conclusion The identified hub genes and pathways may help to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of OSCC occurrence and development. Additionally, they may be useful as therapeutic targets or serve as novel biomarkers for OSCC prognosis prediction.

Key words: oral squamous cell carcinoma, differentially expressed genes, Signaling pathway, survival analysis, biomarker