Non-muscle myosin II as a predictive factor in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The present study attempted to provide information regarding non-muscle myosin II (MII) isoforms immunoreactivity in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and analysis of the patients' clinical status after 5 years of monitoring. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A semiquantitative analysis of the immunoreactivity of the MII isoforms was performed in 54 surgical specimens and its correlation with clinical and pathological variables and prognosis was verified. Data were analyzed using chi-square, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. To evaluate the survival over the total monitoring time and any connection with the proteins studied, the Kaplan-Meier analysis was used. P values ≤0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: In the advanced stages of pathological tumor-node-metastasis, the expression of MIIB in adjacent non-neoplastic epithelial tissues tended to increase (p = 0.057). In tumoral zones there was an association of high expression among the three isoforms (MIIA/MIIB p=0,001, MIIB/MIIC p=0,006 and MIIA/MIIC p=0,012). Negative clinical evolution in patients was directly correlated to increased MIIC expression in the tumoral zone of invasion in HNSCC (p = 0.017). Based on clinical evolution after the monitoring period, patients with tumors expressing MIIC had poorer prognoses (p = 0.048). CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that MIIB expression in non-neoplastic adjacent epithelial tissues may indicate a potential for regional metastasis and that MIIC expression in the tumoral zone of invasion is predictive of negative evolution of the disease.

Prevalence and risk indicators of oral mucosal lesions in an urban population from South Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of oral mucosal lesions (OML) and to perform a multivariable risk assessment of demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral, and oral risk indicators for its occurrence in an urban population in South Brazil. METHODS: This cross-sectional study selected 1586 subjects (719M/867F, age: 14-104 years) using a multistage probability sampling strategy (65.1% response rate). Prevalence, odds ratios (OR), and confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated accounting for the survey design. RESULTS: Leukoplakia and lichen planus were observed in 1.01% and 1.02% of subjects, respectively. In the multivariable analysis, these lesions were significantly associated with moderate/heavy smoking (OR = 9.0, 95% CI = 2.1-39.1) and heavy drinking (OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.1-3.7). Candidiasis and proliferative lesions were observed in 14.09% and 3.80% of the subjects, respectively. These lesions were significantly associated with female gender (OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.5-3.2 and OR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.0-2.8), older age (OR=22, 95% CI = 8.0-60.8 and OR = 8.9, 95% CI = 3.4-23.7), and low socioeconomic status (OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.0-3.5 and OR = 3.0, 95% CI = 1.2-7.2). CONCLUSIONS: This population is in need of OML prevention and treatment. Future studies should validate the findings that premalignant lesions are causally related to smoking and alcohol consumption, and that other OML are associated with socioeconomic-demographic disparities in this and similar populations.