Association between age, gender, and oral traumatic ulcerative lesions: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Oral traumatic ulcerative lesions (OTUL) are commonly encountered in clinical practice, yet there is limited research on their clinical characteristics and traumatic etiological factors. This retrospective study aimed to analyze the age, gender, clinical characteristics, and traumatic etiological factors in a large cohort of patients with OTUL and provide valuable insights for dental clinicians to optimize patient care and prevention strategies. METHODS: A total of 1543 patients with OTUL were enrolled in this study. Age, gender, medical history, clinical characteristics and traumatic etiological factors were collected and analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the significance of age and gender as factors related to OTUL. RESULTS: The study revealed significant variations in clinical characteristics and traumatic etiological factors among different age groups and between genders. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that both age and gender were significant factors related to OTUL. CONCLUSION: The clinical characteristics of OTUL and traumatic etiological factors appear to be significantly different according to age and gender. More targeted prevention strategies should be implemented for all age and gender groups.

A potential reciprocal emergence of regulatory T cells in oral lichen planus and pemphigus vulgaris: A meta-analysis.

Oral lichen planus (OLP) and pemphigus vulgaris (PV) are 2 common inflammatory mucocutaneous diseases of immune-based etiology. Evidence indicates regulatory T (Treg) cells maybe play a role in the pathogenesis of OLP and PV, which are caused by aberrant immune responses. In this report, 7 eligible case-control studies containing 517 OLP patients and 261 healthy controls (HC) were identified. The level of Tregs was significantly higher in OLP patients than HC (mean difference: 1.79; 95%CI: 0.99, 2.60). On the other hand, 7 eligible case-control studies containing 169 PV patients and 121 HC were identified. Conversely, the level of Tregs was significantly lower in PV patients than HC (mean difference: -2.49; 95%CI: -3.90, -1.08). Collectively, this analysis for the first time reported reciprocal emergence of Tregs in OLP and PV using meta-analysis, and provided an interesting insight into a previously undescribed the linkage of the 2 mucocutaneous diseases.

Curcumin nanoemulsions inhibit oral squamous cell carcinoma cell proliferation by PI3K/Akt/mTOR suppression and miR-199a upregulation: A preliminary study.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence indicates that curcumin (CUR) has anticancer properties in various cancers including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), but CUR is greatly restricted in clinical studies and applications due to its low bioavailability. Interestingly, the bioavailability of CUR was found to be significantly improved using loaded lipid nanoemulsions (NEs). OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of CUR-NEs on cell proliferation of OSCC HSC-3 cells in vitro, and explore the potential mechanism of this effect in a preliminary study. RESULTS: CUR-NEs exhibited significantly cytotoxic effects on OSCC cells in a dose-dependent manner, compared with the control. The percentage of cells in proliferative phases (S + G2/M) was gradually decreased in a dose- or time-dependent manner caused by CUR-NEs. Moreover, CUR-NEs downregulated the protein expression of PI3K/Akt/mTOR and upregulated the expression of miR-199a that targeted PI3K in a dose- or time-dependent manner in OSCC cells. Importantly, CUR-NEs cloud effectively counteract the influence on cell proliferation of OSCC cells and the proliferative phases of cell cycle caused by miR-199a inhibitor a time-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: This in vitro preliminary study indicated that CUR-NEs may be an effective therapeutic agent for OSCC. Such effects could be related to inhibition of OSCC cell proliferation by PI3K/Akt/mTOR suppression and miR-199a upregulation.

Cell-free DNA hypermethylated genes may have a limited role in cancer screening but a potential role in risk assessment of head and neck cancer.

Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) hypermethylation in blood-based liquid biopsy is an attractive, minimally invasive biomarker for head and neck cancer (HNC) diagnosis and risk assessment. Yet, there is a lack of adequate description and discussion on this issue. A total of 10 eligible case-control studies containing 26 different hypermethylated genes in cfDNA were retrieved. There were 2026 HNC patients and 3149 healthy individuals for determining various hypermethylated genes in cfDNA. The pooled diagnostic parameter of sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy value (95% confidence interval) was 33.2% (31.2-35.3%), 93.3% (92.3-94.1%), and 69.8% (68.5-71.0%), respectively. Odds ratios analysis revealed that SHOX2, SEPT, HIC1, CDKN2A, and CALML5 were significantly associated with increased risk of HNC development. Collectively, cfDNA hypermethylation biomarkers had a high specificity but accompanied by a low sensitivity for HNC detection, which might have a limited role in cancer screening but a potential role in risk assessment of HNC.

Vitamin B12 deficiency may play an etiological role in atrophic glossitis and its grading: A clinical case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Existing studies have reported the significant association between atrophic glossitis (AG) and hematinic deficiencies, including iron, folate and vitamin B12 deficiency. However, these findings were inconsistent. AG can be graded as partial or complete atrophy. It is still unclear whether hematinic deficiencies are associated with the grading of AG. METHODS: 236 AG patients and 208 sex- and age-matched healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Hematological tests including complete blood count, and serum levels of folate, ferritin and vitamin B12 were performed. The AG group was divided into those with partial AG and those with complete AG according to the extent of papillary atrophy. Statistical analysis was performed to assess whether hematinic deficiencies are risk factors for AG and its grading. RESULTS: Compared with the healthy controls, AG patients had significantly higher frequencies of vitamin B12 deficiency (68.22%), ferritin deficiency (13.98%) and anemia (21.61%). The differences in hematinic deficiencies and anemia between AG patients and healthy controls changed according to gender and age. The frequencies of serum vitamin B12 deficiency and anemia in the complete AG subgroup were significantly higher than those in the partial AG subgroup. Logistic regression analysis revealed that vitamin B12 deficiency and anemia were significantly correlated with AG and its grading. The AG patients with vitamin B12 deficiency responded well to supplement therapy. CONCLUSION: AG could be an important clinical indicator for potential vitamin B12 deficiency, especially when the degree of tongue atrophy more than 50% and complete atrophy. Vitamin B12 deficiency might play an etiological role in the development of AG.

Lingual Linear Lesions: A Clinical Sign Strongly Suggestive of Severe Vitamin B12 Deficiency.

BACKGROUND: Lingual linear lesions (LLLs) are the oral linear lesions located on the dorsum, lateral borders, and/or ventral surface of tongue. It has been suggested that LLLs might be an early clinical sign of vitamin B12 deficiency. Here, a retrospective study was conducted to further investigate and validate the association between LLL and vitamin B12 deficiency. METHODS: Based on the clinical examination, patients with LLLs were enrolled and analyzed retrospectively. Data regarding clinical and laboratory features were obtained. Follow-up was done at least 6 months following appropriate supplementation therapy. RESULTS: A total of 57 patients, consisting of 20 males and 37 females with a mean age of 59.12 years (range, 18-80), were enrolled in this study. The hematological examination revealed that 56 (98.25%) of the 57 patients had severe serum vitamin B12 deficiency, and the other 1 patient had a borderline low level of vitamin B12 . All the enrolled patients responded well to cobalamin replacement therapy. CONCLUSION: LLLs might be a clinical sign strongly suggestive of severe vitamin B12 deficiency.

The profile of hematinic deficiencies in patients with oral lichen planus: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a relatively common mucocutaneous disorder, and its causative factors and pathogenesis are not fully understood. Existing studies on the association between hematinic deficiencies and OLP are limited and inconsistent. The aim of this study was to assess the hematinic deficiencies in a cohort of OLP patients and evaluate the correlation between hematinic deficiencies and OLP. METHODS: A total of 236 OLP patients and 226 age-and-gender-matched healthy controls were enrolled in this study. The levels of hemoglobin (Hb), serum folate, vitamin B12 and ferritin were measured and compared between OLP patients and healthy controls. An REU (reticular/hyperkeratotic, erosive/erythematous, ulcerative) scoring system was adopted and compared between the OLP patients with and without hematinic deficiencies. The correlation between hematinic deficiencies and OLP was analyzed. RESULTS: The frequencies of serum ferritin and vitamin B12 deficiency in OLP patients were both significantly higher than those of the healthy controls. According to gender and age, the profiles of hematinic deficiencies in OLP patients were significantly different. As for the REU score, no significant difference existed between OLP patients with and without hematinic deficiencies. Both serum ferritin deficiency and serum vitamin B12 deficiency were significantly correlated with OLP. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggested a significant association between hematinic deficiencies and OLP. Iron, folate, and vitamin B12 levels in OLP patients should be monitored routinely. Further studies are warranted to explore the interactions between OLP and hematinic deficiencies.

Hematinic deficiencies in patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis: variations by gender and age

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between hematinic deficiencies and recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS). Material and Methods: 517 RAS patients and 187 healthy controls were enrolled in the present study. Hematinic deficiencies, including serum ferritin, folic acid, and vitamin B12 deficiencies were assessed for each participant. Gender and age were taken into account and the collected data were statistically analysed. Results: Compared with the healthy controls, a significantly higher overall frequency of hematinic deficiencies was found in RAS patients (p< 0.001). When gender and age were taken into account, significant differences in hematinic deficiencies were observed among RAS patients. Serum ferritin deficiency was much more common in young and middle-aged female RAS patients (age< 60). Serum folate deficiency and serum vitamin B12 deficiency were both much more common in the young adult group of male RAS patients (21-40 years of age). Logistic regression analysis revealed that both gender and age have significant correlation with the presence of hematinic deficiencies in the RAS patients. Conclusions: Significant variations in hematinic deficiencies were demonstrated in RAS patients across different genders and age groups. We suggest that further studies on the hematinic deficiencies of RAS patients should take into account the gender and age of participants (AU)

No disponible

Serum zinc levels in 368 patients with oral mucosal diseases: A preliminary study

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the serum zinc levels in patients with common oral mucosal diseases by comparing these to healthy controls. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 368 patients, which consisted of 156 recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) patients, 57 oral lichen planus (OLP) patients, 55 burning mouth syndrome (BMS) patients, 54 atrophic glossitis (AG) patients, 46 xerostomia patients, and 115 sex-and age-matched healthy control subjects were enrolled in this study. Serum zinc levels were measured in all participants. Statistical analysis was performed using a one-way ANOVA, t-test, and Chi-square test. RESULTS: The mean serum zinc level in the healthy control group was significantly higher than the levels of all other groups (p < 0.001). No individual in the healthy control group had a serum zinc level less than the minimum normal value. However, up to 24.7% (13/54) of patients with AG presented with zinc deficiency, while 21.2% (33/156) of patients with RAS, 16.4% (9/55) of patients with BMS, 15.2% (7/46) of patients with xerostomia, and 14.0% (8/57) of patients with OLP were zinc deficient. Altogether, the zinc deficiency rate was 19.02% (70/368) in the oral mucosal diseases (OMD) group (all patients with OMD). The difference between the OMD and healthy control group was significant (p< 0.001). Gender differences in serum zinc levels were also present, although not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Zinc deficiency may be involved in the pathogenesis of common oral mucosal diseases. Zinc supplementation may be a useful treatment for oral mucosal diseases, but this requires further investigation; the optimal serum level of zinc, for the prevention and treatment of oral mucosal diseases, remains to be determined

MicroRNA-155 in oral squamous cell carcinoma: Overexpression, localization, and prognostic potential.

BACKGROUND: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a common malignancy with poor prognosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in cancer, but their role in OSCC is not clarified. METHODS: We performed miRNA microarray, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to examine miRNA expression in OSCC and paired adjacent cancer-free mucosal (ACF) tissues. RESULTS: Thirteen miRNAs, including miRNA-155, were upregulated (>2-fold) in OSCC against ACF. MiRNA-155 was confirmed to have significantly higher expression in OSCC against ACF (paired-samples t test; p = .041) and it was localized in the cancer nest, inflammatory area, and vascular endothelium of OSCC. High expression of miRNA-155 in ACF tissue was an independent prognostic indicator for OSCC survival. CONCLUSION: MiRNA-155 was overexpressed in OSCC and it was located in the cancer nest, inflammatory area, and vascular endothelium of OSCC. High miRNA-155 expression level in ACF may predict poor prognosis in patients with OSCC.

Immunoexpression of interleukin-22 and interleukin-23 in oral and cutaneous lichen planus lesions: a preliminary study.

Interleukin- (IL-) 22 is the signature cytokine of T-helper (Th) 22 cells, and IL-23 is required for IL-22 production. The objective of this study was to examine the immunoexpression of IL-22 and IL-23 in archival paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens from oral LP (n = 42) and cutaneous LP (n = 38) against normal control tissues. The results showed that the percentage of cells expressing IL-22 and IL-23 in LP were significantly higher in LP compared to controls, respectively (both P < 0.001). The correlation between IL-22 and IL-23 expression was significant (P < 0.05). Moreover, the percentage of cells expressing IL-22 and IL-23 in oral LP were significantly higher than cutaneous LP (P < 0.05). Collectively, our findings demonstrated that the increased expression of IL-22 and IL-23 in LP lesions could play roles in the pathogenesis of LP. Moreover, oral LP expressing IL-22 and IL-23 was higher than cutaneous LP, probably due to Th22 cells as an important component of oral mucosal host defense against oral microbiota and tissue antigens. This may be associated with the difference in clinical behaviour of the two variants of the disease.

Upregulation of miR-31* is negatively associated with recurrent/newly formed oral leukoplakia.

BACKGROUND: Oral leukoplakia (OLK) is a potentially malignant disorder of the oral cavity. However, the underlying mechanism of OLK is still unclear. In this study, we explore possible miRNAs involved in OLK. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using miRNA microarrays, we profiled miRNA expression in OLK and malignantly transformed OLK (mtOLK) tissue samples. The upregulation of miR-31*, miR-142-5p, miR-33a, miR-1259, miR-146b-5p, miR-886-3p, miR-886-5p, miR-519d, and miR-301a along with the downregulation of miR-572, miR-611, miR-602, miR-675, miR-585, miR-623, miR-637, and miR-1184 in mtOLK were new observations. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analyses confirmed that miR-31* is highly expressed in mtOLK. There was a significant difference between the FISH score (p<0.05) in patients with or without recurrent/newly formed OLK. Functional analyses demonstrated that a miR-31* inhibitor decreased apoptosis in the Leuk-1, which is an immortalized oral epithelial cell line spontaneously derived from an oral leukoplakia lesion. miR-31* regulated apoptosis, cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in the HOIEC, which is a HPV E6/E7-immortalized oral epithelial cell line. Furthermore, miR-31* modulated the biological functions of apoptosis, cell proliferation, cell cycle, migration, and invasion in the oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line, Cal-27. Using bioinformatic analyses and dual luciferase reporter assays, we determined that the 3' untranslated region of fibroblast growth factor 3 (FGF3) is the target of miR-31*. Expression of FGF3 was downregulated or upregulated in the presence of a miR-31* mimic or inhibitor, respectively. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Upregulation of miR-31* is negatively associated with recurrent/newly formed OLK. MiR-31* may exert similar but distinguishable effects on biological function in oral cells with different malignant potential. FGF3 is the target of miR-31*. miR-31* may play an important role during OLK progression through regulating FGF3. MiRNA* strands may also have prominent roles in oral carcinogenesis.

Clinicopathologic features of oral squamous papilloma and papillary squamous cell carcinoma: a study of 197 patients from eastern China.

Oral squamous papilloma and papillary squamous cell carcinoma are 2 clinicopathologically distinctive papillary epithelial tumors. The current study aims to compare the clinical and pathologic features of these oral papillary lesions in a patient population from eastern China. A retrospective review in a series of patients with clinical and pathologic diagnosis of oral squamous papilloma (n = 141) and papillary squamous cell carcinoma (n = 56) was conducted. The average age of oral squamous papilloma was 51.0 years (male-to-female ratio, 1.82), with the palate being the predominant site. The average age of oral papillary squamous cell carcinoma was 63.3 years (male-to-female ratio, 1.67), with the gingiva being the predominant site. Multivariate analysis revealed that the elderly patient with papillary lesion (≥60 years) was associated with 3.09-fold (95% confidence interval, 1.59-6.03) increased carcinoma risk compared with the nonelderly patient. The lesion located on the gingiva was associated with 4.98-fold (95% confidence interval, 1.96-12.63) increased carcinoma risk compared with other oral sites. Collectively, clinicopathologic features of oral squamous papilloma and papillary squamous cell carcinoma in eastern China were elucidated. Elderly patients with oral papillary lesions located on the gingiva correlate with higher carcinoma risk. It highlights the importance of using a histologic examination to confirm the clinical diagnosis for any suspicious papillary lesions.

Malignant transformation of oral epithelial dysplasia: clinicopathological risk factors and outcome analysis in a retrospective cohort of 138 cases.

AIMS: To explore the usefulness of a new binary system of grading dysplasia proposed by the World Health Organization and to identify significant risk factors for malignant transformation in a long-term follow-up cohort of patients with oral epithelial dysplasia. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 138 patients with histologically confirmed oral dysplasia between 1978 and 2008 were reviewed retrospectively in our department. The mean follow-up period was 5.1 years. Of these dysplasias, 37 (26.8%) developed into cancer, with a mean duration of 4.6 years. Cox regression analysis revealed that high-grade dysplasia was an independent risk factor for transition, but age, gender, lesion site, diet habit, smoking and alcohol intake were not risk factors. High-grade dysplasia was associated with a 2.78-fold (95% confidence interval 1.44-5.38; P = 0.002) increased risk of transition, as compared with low-grade dysplasia. Consistently, high-grade dysplasia had a significantly higher incidence of malignancy than low-grade dysplasia by Kaplan-Meier analysis (log-rank test, P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The utilization of high-grade dysplasia as a significant indicator for evaluating malignant transformation risk in patients with potentially malignant lesions is suggested; this may be helpful to guide treatment selection in clinical practice.

Oral melanotic macule and primary oral malignant melanoma: epidemiology, location involved, and clinical implications.

BACKGROUND: Oral malignant melanoma must be differentiated from melanotic macule. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review of 2 series of oral melanotic macule (n = 52) and oral melanoma (n = 130) were conducted to investigate the epidemiology and location involved and assess their differences. RESULTS: The mean age of oral melanotic macule patients was 47.3 years, with female:male ratio 2.1 and the lower lip being the predominant location. The mean age of oral melanoma patients was 53.8 years, with no observed sex predilection and the main locations being palate and gingiva. Differences between the 2 cohorts in age (P = .006), gender (P = .014), and lesion site (P < .001) were noted. In this review, 1 case of oral melanotic macule was found to subsequently develop into melanoma. CONCLUSIONS: Oral melanotic macule may possess malignant potential. Biopsy is recommended to differentiate oral melanoma from melanotic macule for male patients >60 years old with suspected melanotic macule lesion located on the palate.