Effects of active and passive smoking on salivary cytokines levels in rats: A pilot study.

Cigarette smoking is an established risk factor for some oral diseases. As an essential fluid in the oral cavity, saliva is crucial to maintain oral health. Relative to active smoking, there are very few studies assessing the effect of passive smoking on salivary cytokines levels. In the present study, we established the rat models by the means of the intraoral cigarette smoking or whole body cigarette smoke exposure to simulate human active or passive smoking, respectively. The effects of active or passive smoking on salivary cytokines levels were assessed by using ProcartaPlex multiplex immunoassays. The results of the current study indicated that both active and passive smoking diminished the body weights of rats and increased the levels of some blood counts. Intriguingly, active smoking enhanced the salivary levels of IL-6 and IL-12 p70 and passive smoking elevated the salivary IL-6 level. Moreover, active smoking appeared to have a more prominent activation effect on the salivary IL-6 level. It was noted that active or passive smoking had no significant effect on the salivary IFN-γ level. Active or passive smoking could have potential effects on the salivary levels of some pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Frequencies of abnormal humoral and cellular immune component levels in peripheral blood of patients with recurrent aphthous ulceration.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Recurrent aphthous ulceration (RAU) has an incidence of approximately 20% in general population. However, its exact cause remains unknown. Increasing evidence suggests that immunologic mechanisms may play crucial roles in the etiology of this disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The peripheral blood samples were obtained from 85 patients with RAU during acute phase and 87 healthy controls. The serum levels of IgG, IgA, IgM, C3 and C4 were measured by immunoturbidimetry. In addition, the serum IgE levels were measured by electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay. Furthermore, the percentages of B, T, CD4+ T, CD8+ T lymphocytes and natural killer (NK) cells in peripheral blood were determined by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Our findings showed that the serum IgG, IgA, IgE, C3 and C4 levels of RAU patients were significantly higher than those of healthy controls. The percentages of CD4+ T cells and B cells in peripheral blood of RAU patients were significantly decreased, whereas the percentages of CD8+ T cells and NK cells of RAU patients were remarkably increased. Our results indicated that the IgG level was elevated in 18 patients (21.2%) and that the IgE level was increased in 21 patients (24.7%). Our results also showed that the frequency of abnormal IgG or IgE levels were significantly correlated with that of abnormal CD8+ T cell percentage in RAU patients. CONCLUSION: The levels of both humoral and cellular immune components could be altered in RAU. The relationship between humoral and cellular immune may be potentially important immunologic aspects involved in the pathogenesis of RAU.

Serum CCL2 and CCL3 as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1/CCL2) and macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α/CCL3) are small chemotactic proteins that have been found in several kinds of tumor tissue samples and function as key regulators of cancer progression. However, the expression of CCL2 and CCL3 in serum samples of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic meaning of serum CCL2 and CCL3 in OSCC. The concentration of CCL2 and CCL3 was assessed by ELISA in serum of OSCC patients (n = 98), leukoplakia patients (n = 14), and healthy donors (n = 27). The results showed that the concentration of CCL2 in the OSCC group was significantly lower compared to that in the healthy controls (67.81 vs. 108.1 pg/ml, P < 0.0001). The CCL3 concentration was higher in leukoplakia patients than in OSCC patients and healthy donors (201.9 vs. 153.9 or 118.3 pg/ml, P < 0.05). No significant difference in CCL3 concentration was observed between OSCC patients and healthy donors. However, the OSCC group clearly presented two subclusters, i.e., CCL3 (LOW) and CCL3 (HIGH) OSCC subclusters, in which the serum level of CCL3 was positively related to the tumor size. Interestingly, the ratio of CCL2/CCL3 in OSCC patients was correlated to TNM (tumor, node, metastasis), smoking habits, and differentiation. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve suggests that serum CCL2 is a good diagnostic marker to discriminate OSCC patients from healthy people (cutoff value, 101.1 pg/ml) and the ratio of CCL2/CCL3 also is a good diagnostic marker to discriminate leukoplakia patients and CCL3 (HIGH) OSCC patients from healthy people (cutoff values, 1.080 and 0.424, respectively). These results indicate that CCL2 and CCL3 are associated with progression of OSCC and may be potential biomarkers.

[Landscape pattern gradient dynamics and desakota features in rapid urbanization area: a case study in Panyu of Guangzhou].

In order to understand the landscape pattern gradient dynamics and desakota features in rapid urbanization area, this paper took the rapidly urbanizing Panyu District of Guangzhou City as a case, and analyzed its land use and land cover data, based on four Landsat TM images from 1990 to 2008. With the combination of gradient analysis and landscape pattern analysis, and by using the landscape indices in both class and landscape scales, the spatial dynamics and desakota feature of this rapidly urbanizing district were quantified. In the study district, there was a significant change in the landscape pattern, and a typical desakota feature presented along buffer gradient zones. Urban landscape increased and expanded annually, accompanied with serious fragmentation of agricultural landscape. The indices patch density, contagion, and landscape diversity, etc., changed regularly in the urbanization gradient, and the peak of landscape indices appeared in the gradient zone of 4-6 km away from the urban center. The landscape patterns at time series also reflected the differences among the dynamics in different gradient zones. The landscape pattern in desakota region was characterized by complex patch shape, high landscape diversity and fragmentation, and remarkable landscape dynamics. The peaks of landscape indices spread from the urban center to border areas, and desakota region was expanding gradually. The general trend of spatiotemporal dynamics in desakota region and its driving forces were discussed, which could be benefit to the regional land use policy-making and sustainable development planning.