Characterization of vascular density and collagenous matrix in oral pleomorphic adenomas.

BACKGROUND: Tumor vascular density and collagen matrix organization are critical factors to neoplasia development and progression. This study aimed to analyze the variables associated with the extracellular matrix in oral pleomorphic adenomas. METHODS: This cross-sectional study comparatively evaluated 21 cases of pleomorphic adenomas and 21 sections of regular oral mucosa from the files of an oral pathology department. The tissue sections were subjected to immunohistochemical study with a monoclonal antibody specific to CD31 protein to assess vascular density and were also stained with Sirius red to evaluate the levels of collagen. The numbers of positively-stained cells were enumerated in specific fields through morphometric study, with subsequent statistical analysis. RESULTS: Higher numbers of CD31-positive cells were observed in tumor cells than in cells in the regular oral mucosa (P=0.004), which were always located around blood vessels. In tumor lesions, the correlation between the collagen area and vascular density was discrete between these two variables (r=0.046), although the association was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that the increased expression of CD31+ in cells associated with capillaries may be related to tumor neoangiogenesis. Furthermore, an increase in the concentration of collagen fibers proportional to the number of blood vessels in the neoplastic sections suggested the active role of these lesions in the remodeling process.

Prevalence of risk factors for oral diseases in obese patients referred for bariatric surgery.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a risk factor for several chronic diseases, and scientific evidence suggests an association between obesity and oral diseases. In this study, the authors estimated the prevalence of risk factors for caries, dental erosion, and periodontal disease in a group of obese patients referred for bariatric surgery. METHODS: The authors invited obese patients who were referred for bariatric surgery at a private center for treatment of obesity to participate in this study. The patients answered a questionnaire about their sociodemographic data, general and oral health histories, dietary habits, and oral health care behavior. RESULTS: The authors evaluated a total of 255 participants; 200 (78.4%) were women, the median (interquartile range) age was 36.0 (30.0-43.0) years, and the median (interquartile range) body mass index was 39.7 (37.6-43.5) kilograms per square meter. The authors observed a high prevalence of risk factors for dental erosion; 78.4% of the participants consumed acidic foods daily, and 92.2% consumed acidic beverages daily. With respect to risk factors for caries, 38.5% of the participants reported high sucrose intake, and 59.6% preferred sweet beverages and foods with sucrose. Almost 13% of the participants reported having or having had dental mobility, and 59.6% reported having or having had gingival bleeding, suggesting a history of periodontal disease. CONCLUSIONS: Obese patients referred for bariatric surgery are exposed to risks of experiencing oral diseases and should be evaluated by a dentist. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Knowing the risk factors for oral diseases in obese patients is important in raising awareness about these risk factors, as well as to prevent complications in the oral cavity.

Prevalence of Behcet's syndrome in patients with recurrent aphthous ulcerations in Brazil.

Behcet's syndrome (BS) is a clinical entity characterized by the appearance of recurrent oral and genital ulcers, in addition to a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the prevalence of BS in patients with recurrent aphthous ulcerations (RAU) and to test the hypothesis that BS could be under diagnosed in Brazil. This is a cross-sectional investigation of the prevalence of BS based on the International Study Group for Behcet's Disease (ISGBD) criteria in patients with RAU attended in a stomatology service. Three hundred and six patients were attended at the ambulatory clinic in the study period, but the standard questionnaire was applied to 50 (16.6%) patients, 29 men and 21 women, identified as having RAU. Only one patient met the ISGBD criteria presenting RAU of the minor and complex type, recurrent genital ulcers, cutaneous, articular, ocular, and vascular manifestations, hypoacusia and fever. Thus, a prevalence of 2% of BS was defined in this subgroup of patients. In the present study, the frequency of 2% of BS in patients with RAU demonstrates the need for further population-based studies to be developed in order to definitively establish the real prevalence of this condition.

Comparison between semi-automated segmentation and manual point-counting methods for quantitative analysis of histological sections.

The aim of the present study was to compare results obtained using the manual point-counting method with results obtained using the semi-automated segmentation method, in the quantitative evaluation of histological sections by light microscopy. The tongues of 40 rats (Ratus norvergicus) were processed using the paraffin technique, in which a 5-mum-thick tissue slice cut from each tongue is stained with picrosirius and methyl green. Three digital images were captured randomly from each section, which were later converted to black-and-white. The collagen fibers shown in each image were quantified using the semi-automated segmentation method and the manual point-counting method. The results obtained using the 2 different quantification methods were compared using the paired t-test and Pearson's correlation test, with statistical analysis using the methods of Bland and Altman. The t-test indicated that there was no significant difference in results between the 2 different quan-tification methods. Pearson's correlation test indicated a strong correlation (r = 0.987), and a comparison of the methods using the Bland and Altman plot indicated no significant error. These findings indicate that both quantification methods can be reliably used to evaluate tissue sections, without discrepancies between the 2 methods.