ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Smoking is a well-known risk factor for various health problems, including oral cancer. P16 and P53 proteins are involved in cell cycle regulation and proliferation, and their expression levels can provide insights into cellular health. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the cellular changes and immunohistochemistry expression of p53 and p16 in the oral mucosa among Saudi smokers. METHOD: In a cross-sectional study obtained by scraping the buccal mucosa, 1000 samples were collected from 2022 to 2023. All of the study's participants were Saudi citizens of both genders. Seven hundred cigarette smokers and 300 nonsmokers made up the controls, using two sampling techniques: initially purposive and then snowball sampling. The materials were subjected to immunohistochemical analysis for P16 and P53 protein overexpression. The samples were scored based on the percentage of positively stained cells and staining intensity. The data were analyzed using SPSS, and categorical variables were identified as frequencies and percentages using the chi-squared test; a value of (P<0.05) was considered significant. RESULT: Cigarette smokers demonstrate significantly higher rates of cytological inflammation, reverse cytological infection, atypia, and binucleated/multinucleated cells compared to nonsmokers, with an overall abnormal result rate of 46% versus 18.7%, respectively (P=0.024). The study found higher P53 and P16 expression among smokers (7.14% and 2.14%, respectively) compared to nonsmokers (0.1% and 0.33%) (P=0.038). No significant differences were observed in P53/P16 expression across age groups (P=0.72) or between male and female participants (P=0.25). CONCLUSION: These findings highlight the detrimental effects of smoking on cellular health and reinforce the importance of smoking cessation in reducing the risk of developing cytological abnormalities and associated diseases. These results highlight the association of smoking with increased biomarker expression, emphasizing its relevance in understanding oral health risks.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Besides their medical career obligations, female physicians traditionally have assumed responsibility for raising families and maintaining the household. Finding an acceptable balance between their career and family life is challenging. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to discover the obstacles and the relationship between the barriers/factors with the satisfaction in balancing career and family life. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study that analyzed data from Saudi female physicians. The study included 165 female physicians from the six Ministry of Health hospitals in Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah; 65 were specialists and consultants, and 100 were general practitioners and residents. The data were collected from October until the end of November 2022 through a semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire gathered by convenience sampling. The data were collected and analyzed with SAS software. RESULTS: The study's main findings include a satisfaction rate in balancing career and family life among the studied female physicians, which was low at 15.7%. In comparison, female physicians unsatisfied with such balancing were 38.2%. The effect of family responsibilities on career choice was nearly equal, where 50.3% of the studied female physicians affected them. There was a statistically significant difference regarding the satisfaction in balancing career with family life by their specialty; female surgeons and gyn/obs physicians found a higher percentage of unsatisfaction, whereas, among family medicine physicians, the least rate of unsatisfaction was found (P-value < 0.01). At 80% of the studied physicians suggested providing childcare centers as the main solution to their difficulties and obstacles; also, 46.5% suggested taking more days off of maternity leave. Transportation difficulties, however, represented the lowest type of difficulty, 12.7%. CONCLUSION: The present study has revealed several obstacles facing female physicians that negatively impact relationships with their families.
ABSTRACT
A hyalinizing trabecular tumor (HTT) of the thyroid gland is a very rare type of tumor. It is usually diagnosed incidentally during the examination for thyroid gland diseases that need thyroidectomy. Here we report a case of HTT in a 60-year-old male patient who presented with anterior neck swelling and underwent total thyroidectomy for a Bethesda category V nodule. The final histologic diagnosis of the left lobe was consistent with a hyalinized trabecular adenoma of the thyroid gland, or paraganglioma-like adenoma. We discuss the clinical picture and diagnostic approach, including the role of fine needle aspiration biopsy, and the pathologic features of HTT, with particular reference to the possible differential diagnosis.
