P21WAF1/CIP1 protein and tongue cancer prognosis.

The expression of the cell cycle regulatory protein p21waf1/cip1 was analyzed immunohistochemically in tissue from the tumor and adjacent non-tumor epithelia of 54 patients with tongue cancer in order to determine the proportion of tongue carcinomas with altered p21waf1/cip1 expression, establish whether this alteration is an early event in tongue carcinogenesis and to investigate whether p21waf1/cip1 expression has predictive prognostic value in these tumors. The percentage of p21waf1/cip1-positive neoplastic cells was calculated. Adjacent non-tumor epithelium was classified as normal, hyperplastic or dysplastic, and the p21waf1/cip1 expression was only considered normal in suprabasal layers. P21waf1/cip1 expression was negative in 57.4% (31/54) of the tumors and was aberrant in the non-tumor adjacent tissue of all patients studied. Neither the absence nor the degree of p21waf1/cip1 expression influenced the survival of patients in the present series. P21waf1/cip1 system alteration may be an early and frequent event in tongue carcinogenesis.

p16 Expression in squamous carcinomas of the tongue.

BACKGROUND: 81 patients with tongue carcinomas were studied to determine: 1). the proportion of carcinomas with altered p16 expression; 2). whether loss of p16 is an early carcinogenic event; 3). whether p16 expression alterations influence the prognosis. METHODS: 50/81 cases could be analysed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Tumours were p16- in 32% (16/50) and p16+ in 68% (34/50) of patients; 32.3% (11/34) of p16+ tumours presented 1-10% of tumour cells as positive, 14.7% (5/34) 11-40% as positive, and 59.2% (18/34) presented 41-100% of tumour cells as positive. Adjacent nontumoural epithelium (ANTE) was available in 33 of the 50 immunohistochemically analysed specimens. ANTE was normal in 25 cases and dysplastic in 8 cases. In normal ANTE, p16 expression was positive in 16% (4/25) and negative in 84% (21/25) of cases. p16 expression was negative in all dysplastic ANTE samples (8/8). CONCLUSIONS: Changes in p16 expression are frequent in tongue cancer and can be detected at very early stages of carcinogenesis. Nevertheless, in our study neither the absence nor the degree of p16 expression influenced the survival of patients.

Aspectos psicosociales en los pacientes con cáncer oral / Phycosocial aspects in oral cncer patients

El cáncer oral y su tratamiento ocasionan multitud de efectos como por ej.: desfiguración permanente, pérdida de funciones tan importantes como comer con normalidad, la pérdida de sabor y la sensación de boca seca. El presente trabajo evalúa el estrés psicológico en pacientes con cáncer oral y sus consecuencias; la depresión, el elevado índice de suicidios y los delirios (AU)

Increase of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression in HPV-18 positive oral squamous cell carcinomas.

Several studies have established a probable relationship between HPV infections and oral neoplasia. The present study analyze the importance of the integration of DNA of HPV type 18 on the proliferative capability of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) by the study of PCNA expression. Thirty seven patients with OSCC were studied. A complete clinical history and histopathological study was performed. DNA of HPV-18 was found in 7 of the 37 oral OSCCs (19.1%). PCNA expression appeared in 75.7% of OSCCs (28 cases). 9 OSCCs (24.3%) were completely negative, whereas 13 (35.1%), 8 (21.6%) and 7 (18.9%) show minimal, moderate and intense PCNA expression. 4 HPV-18 positive OSCCs showed a intense PCNA expression, 1 OSCC showed moderate PCNA expression, whereas 2 OCSSs showed minimal PCNA expression. Statistical correlations between PCNA expression and DNA HPV-18 amplification showed a more intense PCNA expression in HPV-18 positive OSCCs (p = 0.023). Further studies are needed to establish whether the increase of cellular proliferation induced by HPV-18 has prognostic consequences.

Epithelial response to the immunitary aggression in oral lichen planus.

Oral lichen planus is an inflammatory disease with mucous and cutaneous affects caused by cellular immune reaction. Basal cell vacuolation degeneration is the result of T-cell aggression. As the clinical and histopathological alterations of OLP range from epithelial hyperplasia to epithelial atrophy and erosion, it could be that different forms of OLP finally express differences in the intensity of immune attack. The aim of the present study was to analyse the relationship between the clinical and histopathological behaviour and the intensity of the immune response to OLP by means of basal cell vacuolation and inflammatory infiltrate intensity measurement. We analysed 47 patients with OLP. Requirements for inclusion were histopathological diagnosis of OLP from an oral biopsy. Clinical and histopathological correlations were made. OLP's with an intense inflammatory infiltrate were correlated with a high grade of basal cell vacuolations (p < 0.01). A positive statistical correlation between basal cell vacuolation and epithelial atrophy (p < 0.01), and between inflammatory infiltrate intensity and epithelial atrophy (p < 0.01) were observed. An inverse statistical correlation was found when the inflammatory infiltrate intensity and the degree of basal cell vacuolation were compared with epithelial hyperplasia (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01 respectively). In the present study, OLPs with intense immune aggression frequently show epithelial atrophy and erosion on microscopic examination and vice versa.

Detection of HPV DNA by in situ hybridization in benign, premalignant and malignant lesions of the oral mucosa.

Evidence has accumulated in recent years that relates certain types of human papillomaviruses (HPV) to the development of some tumors. We use in situ hybridization to study DNA from HPV 6/11, 16/18 and 31/33/35 in 6 squamous papillomas, 18 hyperkeratotic/acanthosis lesions with and without dysplasia (5 and 13 cases respectively) and 27 squamous cell carcinomas of the oral mucosa. HPV DNA was found in 66% of squamous papillomas, 38.4% of hyperkeratotic/acanthosis lesions without dysplasia, 60% of epithelial dysplasia and 37% of squamous cell carcinomas. HPV DNA 6/11 was the most common type found, and in squamous cell carcinomas HPV DNA appear more frequently in well differentiated tumors.