Preliminary study of the relationship between tumor like Sjögren's syndrome and malignant lymphoma / 中华口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the clinical and laboratory characteristics of tumor like Sjögren's syndrome (TLSS) patients and non-tumor like Sjögren's syndrome (NTLSS) and the incidence of lymphoma in patients of Sjögren's syndrome (SS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A retrospective analysis was carried out in 199 primary SS (including TLSS) patients who were recruited in Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology from 1998 to 2010. Clinical and laboratory information were collected. The patients were divided into two groups: TLSS (n = 25) and NTLSS (n = 174). Clinical and laboratory characteristics were compared between these two groups by a statistical analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 25 TLSS patients, 23 had enlargements of parotid glands and 2 had enlargements of submandibular glands. There were significant differences of salivary scintigraphy appearance (P = 0.018), hypergammaglobulinemia (P = 0.014), rheumatoid factor positive rate (P = 0.001), formation of the ectopic germinal centers (P = 0.014), double positive rate of anti-SSA antibody and anti-SSB antibody (P < 0.001) between the TLSS and NTLSS patients. Among the 25 TLSS patients, 3 developed lymphomas, accounting for 1.5% (3/199) of the total 199 patients and 12% (3/25) of the TLSS patients. Lymphoma subtypes included one diffused large B-cell lymphoma and two mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. There was no lymphoma detected in NTLSS patients.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>There are clinical and laboratory differences between TLSS and NTLSS patients, with a more tendency to develop lymphomas in TLSS patients.</p>

beta-catenin expression pattern in primary oral squamous cell carcinoma / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Beta-catenin, a 92 kDa protein that binds to the cytoplasmic tail of E-cadherin, has an essential role in intercellular adhesion and signal transduction. Aberrant expression of beta-catenin has been associated with progression and metastasis of various human cancers. The aim of this study was to elucidate the expression pattern of beta-catenin in primary oral squamous cell carcinoma and examine the correlation between beta-catenin expression and tumor differentiation, histological grade and lymph node status as well as its clinical significances.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seventy-six patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma and sixteen metastatic lymph nodes were studied. The beta-catenin expression was determined by immunohistochemical staining. The correlation with clinical, histological data was analyzed statistically.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Normal oral epithelium showed strong beta-catenin expression at the cell membrane, but no cytoplasmic or nuclear expression. Different degrees of reduced expression of beta-catenin at the cell membrane were found in 54 cases with squamous cell carcinoma (71%). Cytoplasmic beta-catenin expression was found in 17 tumors (22.4%). Three cases were found with nuclear beta-catenin expression. In sixteen lymph nodes with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma, negative beta-catenin expression at the cell membrane was seen in 13 tumors (81.2%) and weak expression in 3 tumors (18.8%). Statistical analysis showed that there was an inverse correlation between beta-catenin expression and lymph node status and histological grade of tumors.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Reduced beta-catenin expression at the cell membrane is clearly associated with lymph node metastasis. A reduced expression of beta-catenin may constitute a hallmark of aggressive biological behavior of squamous cell carcinoma.</p>

Expression of receptor activator of NF-kappa B ligand and osteoprotegerin protein in the giant cell lesions of jaw / 中华口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To detect the expression of RANKL and OPG protein in the giant cell lesions of jaw and to study the mechanism of this lesion.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>RANKL and OPG were detected by immunohistochemistry (SP) in 24 paraffin-embedded and 2 frozen specimens of central giant cell lesion of jaw.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>RANKL signals were strongly positive in the vascular epithelial cells. They also could be found in fibrous stroma, bone matrix, and stromal spindle cells, even in some cytomembrane of multinucleated giant cells. OPG was detected in multinucleated giant cells and a fraction of round mononuclear cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Active vascular epithelial cells are contributed to the formation of multinucleated giant cells through regulating RANKL, and RANKL could play its role by paracrine and autocrine, which might be inhibited by OPG.</p>

Enamelin transcriptional expression in developing postnatal rat tooth germ / 中华口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the transcriptional expression of enamelin in developing postnatal rat first mandibular molar germs, for further studies of functions of enamelin in enamel development and mineralization.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Tissue slices of first mandibular molar germ of rat 1, 3, 7, 10, 14 days after birth were prepared. The enamelin mRNA expression was identified by in situ hybridization.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Enamelin mRNA was observed in both ameloblast and odontoblast in 1-10 day old rat postnatal first mandibular molar germs. Enamelin mRNA appeared very weakly at 1st day, and increased through 3rd day, reached the maximum at 7th day, and reduced at 10th day and became negative at 14th day postnatally; while the expression of enamelin mRNA in odontoblast maintained lower from 1st to 10th day and negative at 14th day postnatally.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Enamelin gene transcriptional expression lasts from preameloblast to maturation ameloblast, which suggests that enamelin may participate in the development of enamel and mantle dentin.</p>