Confirming the microarray data, western blotting demonstrated that p-p38 MAPK and p-ERK exhibited significantly greater and p-JNK had lower expression in HNSCC than in NCMT, and total p38 MAPK, ERK and JNK levels were similarly or less reduced in both types of tissue (Figure 4B). This evidence concerns the gene MAPK8 and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.