Actinic cheilitis: clinical and pathologic characteristics in 65 cases.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical and histopathologic presentation of actinic cheilitis. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study on 65 patients attending an Oral Medicine clinic in Greece over a 10 year period. For each case the demographic, clinical and histopathologic information were evaluated. RESULTS: The mean age at the time of diagnosis was 53.1 +/- 11.4 years. Thirty-nine patients (60%) used tobacco in any form. An outdoor occupation was indicated for 43 (66.2%) patients. The location of the lesions of actinic cheilitis was in all cases on the lower lip. Actinic cheilitis appeared in three forms; white non-ulcerated lesions (29%), erosions or ulcers of the lip (48%), mixed white and erosive (23%). The histopathologic characteristics included increased thickness of keratin layer, alterations of the thickness of spinous cell layer, epithelial dysplasia, connective tissue changes, perivascular inflammation and basophilic changes of connective tissue. In 11 cases (16.9%) the presence of squamous cell carcinoma was observed. CONCLUSIONS: This case-series highlights varied clinical presentation of actinic cheilitis among whom a high proportion developed squamous cell carcinoma.

Tumor-associated glycoprotein 72 (TAG-72) expression in salivary gland neoplasia: an immunohistochemical study using the monoclonal antibody (MAb) CC49.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate immunohistochemically the expression of tumor-associated glycoprotein 72 (TAG-72) using the monoclonal antibody (MAb) CC49 in salivary gland neoplasia and normal salivary glands in an attempt to determine the potential usefulness of MAb CC49 in diagnostic and therapeutic applications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-six specimens (21 benign tumors, 41 malignant, and 24 normal salivary glands), fixed in 10% formalin and embedded in paraffin, were retrieved from the files of the Department of Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology at the Dental School of Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece, and were retrospectively studied with hematoxylin and eosin and with the streptavidin-biotin-complex method using the MAb CC49. RESULTS: Strong immunoreactivity for TAG-72 was observed in salivary duct carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, papillary cystadenocarcinoma, low-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma, normal submandibular, sublingual, and minor salivary glands. Weak or no immunoreactivity was found in adenoid cystic carcinoma, basal cell adenocarcinoma, polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma, and normal parotid gland. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest the potential use of MAb CC49 in the differential diagnosis of some salivary gland neoplasms in which their histopathologic features overlap, and in the radiation immunolocalization and immunotherapy of malignant tumors that are localized in the parotid gland.

Immunohistochemical detection of insulin-like growth factor-I in the labial salivary glands of patients with Sjögren's syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the presence of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in the labial salivary glands of patients with Sjögren's syndrome and healthy controls and to determine if there are any differences between these two groups. DESIGN: An immunohistochemical study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Twenty-five patients with Sjögren's syndrome, 20 healthy controls and 20 patients with mucoceles of the lip were used in this study. All individuals underwent a systemic evaluation and a lip biopsy. Sections from the lip biopsies were stained with haematoxylin and eosin (H&E). Immunohistochemical staining was also performed using a three-step indirect immunoperoxidase for IGF-I. RESULTS: The light microscopic examination revealed the presence of a mononuclear infiltration in the labial salivary glands of patients with Sjögren's syndrome. Most of the infiltrates were lymphocytes. Immunohistochemically an intense staining result was apparent in the same group. In contrast sections of labial salivary glands of healthy individuals and of patients with mucoceles revealed very weak staining. CONCLUSIONS: The above findings and the fact that both lymphocytic infiltration and IGF-I were predominantly seen in ductal regions, suggest that IGF-I may be a target of autoimmunity in Sjögren's syndrome.

Tumor-associated glycoprotein (TAG-72) in chronic submandibular sialadenitis and normal minor salivary glands defined by monoclonal antibody B72.3.

Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples of three normal minor salivary glands, 10 chronic submandibular sialadenitis, and three normal submandibular glands were studied immunohistochemically using the monoclonal antibody (Mab) B72.3 in order to have a better understanding of the distribution of tumor-associated glycoprotein (TAG-72). Diffuse expression of TAG-72 was observed in the mucous cells of normal minor salivary glands, and in the ducts with goblet cell metaplasia and/or hyperplasia of chronic submandibular sialadenitis (eight of 10). Focal expression of TAG-72 was seen in the acinar mucous cells of normal submandibular gland (three of three), and in the mucous cells of normal or atrophic acini of chronic submandibular sialadenitis (eight of 10). These results should be considered in the cytologic diagnosis of the mucoepidermoid carcinoma using the Mab B72.3 as a diagnostic aid, as well as in future studies for the radiation immunolocalization and immunotherapy of submandibular gland tumors.

Immunohistochemical evaluation of TGF-beta and extracellular matrix proteins expression in rat squamous cell carcinomas.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to establish a possible association between the degree of differentiation of squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) derived from rat oral tissues treated in vivo with carcinogen 4NQO, and the expression of TGF-beta on epithelial cells and the distribution of extracellular matrix proteins (laminin-collagen type IV). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A parent tumor showing a spectrum of differentiation was used to establish clonal subpopulations that formed differentiated SCC and undifferentiated (spindle cell phenotype) tumours following transplantation to athymic mice. RESULTS: Immunohistological findings revealed the absence of TGF-beta staining on epithelial cells and extracellular matrix proteins in spindle cell tumours. In contrast, staining of SCC revealed a significant number of TGF-beta positive cells and the presence of extracellular matrix proteins. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggested that there is a positive correlation between histological differentiation, TGF-beta expression and the elaboration of extracellular matrix proteins.

[Serum immunoglobulins IgA, IgG and IgM, and oral lichen planus]. / Prosdiorismos ton apososphairinon tou orou IgA, IgG kai IgM se astheneis me omalo leichena tou stomatos.

Oral lichen planus is a common dermatosis with oral manifestations. It is widely accepted that its unknown pathogenetic mechanism has an immunological background although the exact immune mechanism involved is not clear. In our research we attempted to estimate the participation of humoral immunity in the pathogenesis of the disease, comparing the levels of serum immunoglobulins IgG, IgA and IgM between a group of 24 patients with oral lichen planus and a group of 19 healthy individuals. Our results revealed no differences for immunoglobulins IgG and IgM (p greater than 0.05) but increased values of IgA were found (p less than 0.05). It is therefore concluded that humoral immunity is involved in lichen planus but it is difficult to explain its exact participation.

[Hyperhaplotypes of A, B and DR loci of HLA region in patients with recurrent aphthous ulceration]. / Helegchos hyperaplotypon ton HLA antigonon tes A, B kai DR gonidiakes theses tes HLA perioches se astheneis mehypotropiazouses aphthes.

Recurrent aphthous ulceration is a common disease affecting 10% of the general population. It is speculated that there is a genetic predisposition for the disease and for this reason HLA antigens may be involved. In our research we investigated 103 Greek patients suffering from recurrent aphthous ulcers (RAU) ranging in age from 13 to 60 years. For controls 242 individuals were tested the same period with no medical history of RAU. In our results we found that haplotype A2B12DR5 was statistically significantly increased in patients (p less than 0.05) thus considering this haplotype as a genetic marker for the disease in Greek patients.

[Oral leukoplakia. A clinicopathologic study of 190 cases]. / Klinike kai istopathologike melete tes leukoplakias ste stomatike koiloteta.

In this study an attempt was made to correlate the causative factors of leukoplakia. Histologic criteria helped for the classification of our cases in three groups according to widely accepted standards. As final result it is that smoking and excess use of alcoholic drinks could be involved as causative agents. The clinical appearance of the leukoplakia lesions with their histological type is also correlated.

[Oral lichen planus. A clinical study of 228 cases]. / Omalos leichenas tou stomatos. Melete 228 periptoseon.

Oral lichen planus is a common dermatologic disease of unknown etiology, with characteristic clinical manifestations from the skin and the oral mucosa as well. In our study we analyzed the observations in 228 patients with oral lichen planus. The location and the type of the oral lesions of this disease are discussed as well as the prevalence of age-sex and the incidence of the disease. The results of our findings can be summarized as following 1) The reticular type is the most common clinical form. 2) Buccal mucosa is the most frequent location. 3) Females are affected more frequently. 4) The most frequent age in which the disease appears is the 6th decade. The importance of these conclusions are compared and discussed with the findings of other authors.