Overexpression of Lysosome-Associated Membrane Protein 1 in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and its Correlation with Tumor Differentiation and Metastasis.

INTRODUCTION: The overexpression of lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1) has been demonstrated in different types of cancers, such as ovarian carcinoma, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, breast cancer, and colorectal carcinoma. Nonetheless, the expression of LAMP1 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has not been investigated yet. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 65 patients with OSCC selected from the Department of Pathology of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. The control group comprised 55 tissues of normal oral epithelium. The expression of LAMP1 in OSCC tissue samples was assessed using immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis. The association between LAMP1 and clinicopathological features of patients with OSCC was also evaluated. RESULTS: The expression of LAMP1 was significantly higher in OSCC tissues, as compared to that in normal tissues (P<0.001). The chi-square analysis indicated that the high LAMP1 expression was correlated with the degree of tumor differentiation and metastasis (P=0.014). CONCLUSIONS: The obtained results pointed to the overexpression of LAMP1 in OSCC, as well as its correlation with tumor grade and metastasis; therefore, LAMP1 might have a role to play in OSCC pathogenesis and could be regarded as an independent prognostic marker in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Odontogenic Carcinosarcoma of the Mandible, a Case Report.

Odontogenic carcinosarcoma is an extremely rare malignant mixed odontogenic tumor, in which both epithelial and mesenchymal component showing malignant cytology features. Due to paucity of reported cases, clinical appearance is unclear. Present study reports a mandibular odontogenic carcinosarcoma in a 33 years-old male with a history of painless mass in the anterior of mandible. The histopathological examination demonstrated a biphasic malignant neoplasm with both epithelial and mesenchymal component malignant features. There were follicles and strands of odontogenic epithelium, which were lined peripherally by ameloblast-like cells. Mesenchyme of tumor was highly cellular resembling dental papilla. Partial mandibular resection, consisting wide surgical excision with immediate reconstruction was accomplished.

Comparative study of serum zinc concentration in recurrent herpes labialis patients and healthy individuals.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent herpes labialis (RHL) is a common recurrent infective vesiculoulcerative disease. Topical and systemic administration of Zinc compounds has been indicated to have preventive and therapeutic effects. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the serum level of zinc in the patients with RHL and healthy individuals and also to investigate the correlation of this level with various parameters of the patient and disease course. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed on 43 patients with a history of recurrent herpers labialis and 42 subjects without any previous experience of the lesion. Blood samples were taken, and serum zinc level was measured using colorimetry (spectrophotometry) method. Chi-Square test was used to compare the qualitative relationships, and for comparing the quantitative relationships, independent T-test was used. To observe the relationship of quantitative factors including serum zinc level, the number of relapses, and recovery rates, correlation test was taken. RESULTS: The results show that, serum zinc level has no significant difference between healthy subjects and the patients (p > 0.05). Also, zinc level was not related to age and sex factors and frequency of relapse (p > 0.05). However surprisingly, there was a significant relationship between zinc level and recovery period in the RHL patients. The lower the serum zinc level, the higher the duration of recovery (p = 0.009). CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that, zinc deficiency can be considered as a risk factor for increasing the duration of herpes labialis lesions. Therefore, the evaluation of serum zinc level in the subjects with RHL and subsequent administration of zinc are recommended in these kind of patients.

Glypican-3 Expression in Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a malignant neoplasm that affects the structures or tissues of mouth. Early diagnosis of these tumors is important to improve the outcome of treatment. Therefore, using pathological techniques based on molecular markers may be useful for optimal diagnosis and treatment. Glypican-3 (GPC3) is involved in regulation of cell proliferation and morphogenesis and is abundant during embryogenesis and organogenesis but is limited in most of adult tissues. GPC3 overexpression has a role in carcinogenesis. PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to investigate GPC3 expression in the non-neoplastic oral epithelium and oral squamous cell carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHOD: In this cross-sectional study, 45 patients with OSCC (30 males and 15 females) with a mean age of 52.3 selected from Oral Pathology Department of Shiraz Dental School were enrolled. The control group was consisted of 15 cases of normal oral epithelium. Glypican-3 expression was assessed by using immunohistochemical methods. RESULTS: Non neoplastic tissues were GPC3 negative. Frequency of GPC3 positivity in tumoral tissues was recorded as 73.3% (33 cases) which was significantly higher than non-neoplastic tissues (p< 0.001).The clinicopathologic features of GPC3 expression demonstrated no association with clinicopathologic parameters except tumor size. CONCLUSION: GPC3 was over expressed at protein level in oral squamous cell carcinoma, but its potential use for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes requires further investigation.

Expression of nucleostemin in odontogenic cysts and tumors.

Considering the unique clinical behavior of odontogenic cysts and tumors, this study aimed to assess the expression of nucleostemin in odontogenic cysts and tumors by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. This retrospective study evaluated 50 samples including 13 samples of unicystic ameloblastoma (UA), 10 samples of solid ameloblastoma (SA), 10 samples of odontogenic keratocyst (OKC) and 17 samples of dentigerous cyst (DC) by IHC staining. The stained slides were evaluated under a light microscope. Number of positively stained cells for nucleostemin marker was counted in five random areas per 100 cells under x400 magnification. The labeling index (LI) for nucleostemin was calculated by dividing the number of positively stained cells by the total number of counted cells in each lesion multiplied by 100. Positive staining for nucleostemin marker was observed in 100% of SA,100% of UA, 100% of OKC and 5 samples of DC (29.4%). The LI for nucleostemin marker in SA (median: 70.5), UA (median: 50) and OKC (median: 52) samples was significantly higher than that in DC (median: 0.00) (P = .001). This study showed an increased expression of nucleostemin in ameloblastoma and OKC, which suggests that stemness may be related to development of these lesions, their invasive behavior and high rate of recurrence.

Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Chronic Liver Failure Patients Measured by OHIP-14 and GOHAI.

BACKGROUND: Oro-dental diseases are prevalent in chronic liver failure (CLF) patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of life associated with oral health in candidates for liver transplant surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The demographic information of 105 end-stage liver cirrhotic patients was collected. All patients were ordered a panoramic view for pretransplant dental evaluation. The DMFT (decayed-missing-filled tooth) index was calculated for dental examination. The model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) was used for the severity of liver disease. The OHIP-14 (Oral Health Impact Profile) questionnaire and GOHAI (Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index) questionnaire were applied to evaluate the impact of oral disease on the quality of life. RESULTS: A total of 79 patients thoroughly completed the questionnaires; 79.7% were male, 32.9% were over 50, and 25.3% were less than 30 years old. Further, 12.7% smoked, 2.5% were illiterate, 64.6% had not finished school, and 10.1% had university degrees. Almost half of the cirrhotic patients were suffering from the disease for more than 3 years. Most complaints reported by the patients as "very often" were becoming self-conscious (13.9%) and being uncomfortable when eating any foods (13.9%) followed by feeling tense (12.8%). There was no significant difference between gender, smoking, age, and MELD score based on quality of life (OHIP and GOHAI) (P > 0.05). The level of education (P = 0.020), duration of disease (P = 0.017), and DMFT index (P = 0.039) had a significant impact on oral health-related quality of life in CLF patients. An inverse relationship was seen between the DMFT index and the quality of life. CONCLUSION: Oral health has a high impact on the quality of life of cirrhotic patients. The psychological dimension of oral health is the most debilitating factor affecting the quality of life. This shows the importance of professional oral care, oral health, and self-care education in this group of patients.

CD73 a novel marker for the diagnosis of benign and malignant salivary gland tumors.

BACKGROUND: Ecto-5'-nucleotidase (CD73) plays an important role in the development of several types of cancer; however, its prognostic significance in salivary gland tumors remains unknown. The current study was conducted to investigate the expression of CD73 in such tumors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, immunohistochemical expression of CD73 was evaluated in 25 pleomorphic adenomas, 20 mucoepidermoid carcinomas and 20 adenoid cystic carcinomas using the Envision technique. Labeling indices of CD73 expression were calculated and compared between lesions. RESULTS: Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that the CD73 expression was significantly higher in salivary gland tumors than in normal salivary gland tissue (p<0.001). CD73 expression was significantly higher in mucoepidermoid carcinoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma compared to pleomorphic adenoma p<0.001). In addition, the expression of CD73 was significantly higher in lymph node metastasizing cancers compared to non-metastasizing malignancies (P<0.001). In contrast, there was no significant association between CD73 expression and other clinicopathological variables such as age, gender, tumor size and distant metastasis (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that CD73 can be an independent and useful biomarker for predicting the clinical behavior of salivary gland tumors. Key words:Ecto-5'-nucleotidase, immunohistochemistry, salivary gland tumors.

Serum Endostatin Levels in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Endostatin is a C-terminal proteolytic fragment of collagen XVIII and, as with angiostatin and thrombospondin, is known as an antiangiogenic agent. The aim of this study was to assess the level of serum endostatin in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and its association with the clinicopathological characteristics of the tumor. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit, we investigated the circulating levels of endostatin in the blood serum of 45 patients with oral SCC and 45 healthy controls. RESULTS: The mean level of serum endostatin in patients was significantly lower (68.8±85 ng/ml) than in healthy controls (175.6±73 ng/ml) (P<0.001). Serum endostatin levels were significantly lower in patients with lymph node metastasis compared with patients without lymph node metastasis (P<0.001). In addition, serum endostatin level was associated with higher histological grade (P<0.001). There were no apparent correlations between serum endostatin concentration and clinicopathological features such as age, gender, and tumor stage (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Findings of the present study suggest the prognostic and anti-metastatic role of endostatin, and this may be used as a tool for monitoring tumor progression.

P63 and Ki-67 Expression in Dentigerous Cyst and Ameloblastomas.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: P63 gene is a member of TP53 and its homologous gene family. Its expression was observed in some odontogenic lesions, more expression in aggressive lesions. PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the possible diagnostic impact of P63 protein on dentigerous cysts and various types of ameloblastoma. Its expression with Ki-67 proliferation marker was also compared. MATERIALS AND METHOD: This cross-sectional retrospective study was enrolled on 25 cases of dentigerous cyst including 21 unicystic ameloblastomas and 17 conventional ameloblastomas. The expression of P63 and Ki-67 was assessed by immunohistochemical (IHC) examinations. Data were analyzed by employing Mann-Whitney and correlation coefficient tests. RESULTS: P63 expression was significantly higher in ameloblastoma than unicystic ameloblastoma and dentigerous cysts. There was no significant difference between unicystic ameloblastoma and dentigerous cyst in P63 expression. A 90% cut-off point was obtained for basal layer which gave 88% sensitivity and 78% specificity to distinguish more invasive lesions from others. There was not any correlation between P63 and Ki-67 immunostaining in the three study groups. CONCLUSION: More aggressiveness and more invasiveness of odontogenic lesions depicted higher rate and also more intensive expression of P63. Moreover, the expression of P63 protein had not any correlation with Ki-67 protein in dentigerous cysts and ameloblastomas.

Antibacterial and Toxic Effect of Hydrogen Peroxide Combined with Different Concentrations of Chlorhexidine in Comparison with Sodium Hypochlorite.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has been suggested to be used in sequence or in combination with chlorhexidine (CHX) to enhance the antibacterial activity against Enterococcus faecalis, but there is no research in the literature on the safety and effectiveness of this irrigation protocol. PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the cytocompatibility and antibacterial activity of different concentrations of CHX combined with H2O2in comparison with the activity of 5.25 and 2.5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). MATERIALS AND METHOD: Different concentrations of H2O2 (10, 5, 3 and 1%) were exposed to the PDL cells. Then, the solution with minimal cytotoxicity was selected (3% H2O2). The cytocompatibility and antibacterial activity of 0.1, 0.2, 1 and 2% CHX combined with 3% H2O2 were evaluated and compared with 5.25 and 2.5% NaOCl. The differences in the mean viability of PDL cells were evaluated by one-way ANOVA. Kruskal-Wallis and post-hoc Dunn's tests were adopted to compare the antibacterial activity of the solutions against E.faecalis. RESULTS: The viability of PDL cells was lower when treated with 5.25 or 2.5% NaOCl than all combinations of CHX and H2O2.There was no significant difference in the antibacterial activity of the solutions against E.faecalis, except for the 0.1% CHX + 3% H2O2 combination, which had significantly lower efficacy than other groups. CONCLUSION: All combinations of CHX and H2O2 (used in this study)except 0.1% CHX + 3% H2O2 were efficient irrigants against planktonic E.faecalis and had a better cytocompatibility with PDL cells than 5.25 and 2.5% NaOCl.

The Effect of Iranian Customary Used Probiotic Yogurt on the Children's Salivary Cariogenic Microflora.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: Dental caries is the most common disease of childhood. Using probiotics has recently been introduced to reduce the incidence of dental caries.It consists of live microbial food supplements that beneficially affect the host, and hence are considered an alternative way to eradicate the infections. PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of consumption of probiotic yogurt on the children's salivary cariogenic microflora. MATERIALS AND METHOD: A double-blind randomized study was performed recruiting 2 parallel groups; 24 healthy children in the case and 25 children in the control group. All healthy children were followed- up over 4 periods. Periods 1 and 3 were wash-out periods with duration of 1 and 2 weeks, respectively. During periods 2 and 4 (2weeks duration each), the case group consumed 200g yogurt containing Bifidobacterium lactis (1×10(6) per gram) once daily and the control group consumed normal yogurt. Salivary Streptococci mutans and Lactobacilli were enumerated before and after the yogurt consumption periods. Pre- and post-treatment values within and between regimens were compared using the t-test and paired samples. RESULTS: There was a reduction in Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus counts in the control group, but for Streptococcus mutans, the count reduction between phases 1 and 4 was statistically significant (p= 0.009). In the case group, neither the Streptococcus mutans count nor the Lactobacilli count was significantly reduced. CONCLUSION: Based on the findings of this study, short-term daily consumption of probiotic yogurt containing Bifidobacterium lactis could not reduce the levels of salivary Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacilli in 6 to 12 year-old children, while normal yogurt could reduce the Streptococcus mutans counts significantly.

MCM3 as a novel diagnostic marker in benign and malignant salivary gland tumors.

BACKGROUND: Proliferation markers widely have been used to diagnose and determine the behaviour and prognosis of benign and malignant tumours. Minichromosome maintenance 3 (MCM3) is a novel proliferation marker. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare MCM3 with Ki-67 in diagnosis of salivary gland tumours. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, immunohistochemical expression of MCM3 and Ki-67 was evaluated in 15 pleomorphic adenomas (PA), 17 mucoepidermoid carcinomas (MEC) and 18 adenoid cystic carcinomas (ADCC) . Labeling indices (LIs) for the two markers were calculated and compared. RESULTS: MCM3 and Ki-67 LIs were significantly higher in MEC and ADCC compared to PA. The LI of MCM3 was significantly higher than that of Ki-67 in MEC and PA. There was no significant difference between the two markers in ADCC. A cut-off point of 8% with 74.3% sensitivity and 93.3% specificity for MCM3 was obtained to discern between benign and malignant tumors. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that MCM3 might be a useful proliferation marker for differential diagnosis and recognition of clinical behavior of salivary gland tumors.