EZH2 immunoexpression in pleomorphic adenoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma and clinicopathological features

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of the EZH2 protein and describe the clinical and microscopic characteristics of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) and pleomorphic adenoma (PA). The study included 16 ACC cases and 12 PA. All ACC and PA cases were positive for EZH2 and the ACC samples showed significantly higher EZH2 expression. The clinical and microscopic covariates were described in relation to EZH2 staining in ACC samples. The highest mean values of EZH2 were observed in cases with local metastasis, recurrence, perineural invasion, and predominantly cribriform growth pattern without solid areas. EZH2 is a potential marker of malignancy.

Halitosis: a conceptual, etiologic and therapeutic approach / Halitose: uma abordagem conceitual, etiológica e terapêutica

Objective: Halitosis is the offensive odor emanated by the oral and nasal cavities and perceived by the individual and/or by other people. Halitosis is a symptom that directly impacts on the social aspects of an individual's life and may be a sign for a systemic disorder in some cases. Material and Methods: A search was conducted on the literature in order to gather the main aspects about halitosis and make a review about the main features necessary to the clinical practice when a professional deals with a patient with halitosis. Results: The information was summarized and discussed with a focus on what clinicians should be aware of when dealing with a patient with halitosis. Conclusion: Halitosis is a prevalent symptom that affects approximately 25% of the individuals. Its classification takes into consideration the origin of the compounds producing the malodor. The diagnosis must take into consideration the various etiological possibilities before defining the treatment. The treatment must be focused on the cause and since there is a wide range of possible causes, halitosis needs a multidisciplinary approach (AU)

Objetivo: Halitose é um cheiro ofensivo expelido pela cavidade bucal e pela cavidade nasal e percebido pelo indivíduo e/ou pelas outras pessoas. A halitose é um sintoma que impacta diretamente aspectos sociais da vida de um indivíduo e pode ser um sinal de alguma desordem sistêmica em alguns casos. Material e Métodos: Uma busca foi feita na literatura para reunir os principais aspectos da halitose e conduzir uma revisão sobre as principais características necessárias à prática clínica quando um profissional lida com um paciente com a queixa de halitose. Resultados: A informação disponível foi sumarizada e discutida com foco naquilo que um clínico deve estar atento quando lida com um paciente com a queixa de halitose presente. Conclusão: A halitose é um sintoma prevalente que afeta aproximadamente 25% dos indivíduos. Sua classificação leva em consideração a origem dos compostos que produzem o mau hálito. O diagnóstico deve levar em conta as várias etiologias possíveis antes de definir um tratamento. O tratamento deve ser focado na causa e, como há uma ampla variedade de possíveis causas, a halitose é um sintoma que precisa de uma abordagem multidisciplina (AU)

Effects of tobacco on the DNA of smokers and non-smokers affected by OSCC: systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Scientific evidence about genetic and molecular changes in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) among smokers and non-smokers is inconclusive. This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the effects of tobacco on the DNA of individuals with OSCC based on protein mutations. Electronic searches were conducted on PubMed, Ovid, Web of Science, and Scopus to identify observational studies published up to January/2022. The Joanna Briggs Institute tool was used for the critical appraisal of studies. The certainty of the evidence was evaluated. Twenty-three studies assessing 4,060 individuals (2,967 smokers vs. 1,093 non-smokers) were included in this review. Fifteen groups of proteins/genes were investigated. Analysis of the quality of articles revealed low risk of bias in most studies. The certainty of the evidence was very low. The meta-analysis confirmed no significant difference between smokers and non-smokers with respect to damage to GSTM1 (OR: 0.60; 95%CI: 0.30-1.18), GSTT1 (OR: 1.18; 95%CI:0.49-2.83), hydrolase proteins (Ku70 and Ku80) (OR: 0.74; 95%CI: 0.18-3.05), and transferase proteins (GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTM3) (OR: 0.74; 95%CI: 0.47-1.18). Most of the studies included showed that smokers are more likely to exhibit genetic instability. However, the meta-analysis revealed that smokers do not necessarily have more genetic alterations in the DNA than non-smokers.

DNA damage-related proteins in smokers and non-smokers with oral cancer

Abstract: Tobacco smoking involves a high risk of human malignancies, including oral cancer, because it contains multiple carcinogens that cause genetic instability. Thus, a worse prognosis would be expected for cancer patients who are smokers. The aim of this study was to assess the DNA damage response through the expression of checkpoint kinase 2 (CHK2), H2A histone family member X (H2AX), and P53 among smokers and non-smokers with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Associations between immunoexpression of proteins and clinicopathological data and histopathological grading were also analyzed. A total of 35 individuals (18 non-smokers and 17 smokers) with OSCC of the tongue and/or floor of the mouth were included. Immunohistochemistry for H2AX was conducted for the identification of double-strand breaks, CHK2, and P53 to evaluate the expression of this protein in cell cycle regulation. The sample consisted of 22 males and 13 females, with a mean age of 63.9±11.8 years. OSCC of non-smokers were well-differentiated tumors in 50% of the cases, and those of smokers were equally distributed into moderately differentiated and poorly differentiated tumors (35.3% each). Overall, 31 (88.6%) cases were CHK2-positive, 27 (77.1%) were H2AX-positive, and 23 (65.7%) were P53-positive, with no difference between smokers and non-smokers (p > 0.05). No association was found between proteins and clinicopathologic data (p > 0.05). Similarities in CHK2, H2AX, and P53 immunohistochemical staining patterns were observed between smokers and non-smokers, and immunoexpression was not associated with clinicopathological parameters. However, the findings indicated consistent expression of these proteins in OSCC.

Toxicity of Carnoy's solution toward human keratinocytes: an in vitro study

Abstract: The present study aimed to characterize the chemical elements and cytotoxicity of Carnoy's solution (CS) by comparing two different trademarked products (one Brazilian [NCS] and another imported [ICS]) using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cultures. For performing ICP-MS, the solutions were diluted according to calibration curves, and the chemical elements were analyzed with a spectrometer. HaCaT cells were exposed to CS concentrations ranging from 0.10% to 20% for 3 or 5 min. Cell viability was evaluated immediately (T0), 24 h (T1), and 7 days (T2) after exposure to CS using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction assay. Data were analyzed using a t-test for ICP-MS and analysis of variance followed by Tukey's post-hoc test for MTT assay, both considering statistical significance at p<0.05. ICP-MS results revealed that ICS presented significantly lower concentrations of 12 chemical elements than NCS. The results of MTT assay revealed that at T0, ICS was more cytotoxic than NCS regardless of the time of exposure (p < 0.05). At T1, the only difference between the groups was at a concentration of 0.10% after 5 min of exposure. At T2, at a concentration of 0.5%, ICS resulted in a significant reduction in cell viability compared to NCS (p < 0.05). Thus, the results showed that ICS was more cytotoxic than NCS. Collectively, our findings suggest that the individual compositions of different CS formulations should be investigated.