Does P16 Protein Expression Affect Treatment Prognosis in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma - A Comparative Study.

INTRODUCTION: P16 is an independent and reliable surrogate for the detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The aim of this study was to assess the P16 expression as a marker for HPV infection in OSCC and its impact on the treatment outcome. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with a definite diagnosis of OSCC. Patients were assigned into two groups with and without recurrence or metastasis. Tumour resection was performed in the same manner for all patients. P16 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining. Independent t-test and Chi-square tests were used to find significant differences in age, gender, stage of the disease, tumour size, lymph node involvement, and P16 expression between the two groups. RESULTS: Of 50 patients, 37 did not show any recurrence or metastasis (group 1), while 13 had a relapse (group 2). There was no significant difference for age, gender distribution, stage of the disease, or lymph node involvement between the two groups (P > 0.05). A significant difference in tumour size was noted between the two groups (P = 0.001). The mean expression of P16 was 38.92 ± 24.36 in group 1 and 51.54 ± 33.63 in group 2. No significant difference was found between the two groups for the mean expression of P16 (P = 0.23). DISCUSSION: A review of the recent literature revealed that the HPV role in OSCC treatment is controversial. According to the results of this study, there was no significant difference in terms of P16 expression between OSCC patients with and without recurrence or metastasis.

Salivary Visfatin Concentration in Response to Non-surgical Periodontal Therapy.

INTRODUCTION: Visfatin is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that has been associated with several immunomodulating processes. The relationship between visfatin and periodontitis has been the subject of a few studies that have described visfatin as an inflammatory marker for periodontitis. However, studies on visfatin as a potential therapeutic target in periodontal diseases are scarce. In the present study, we evaluated the alterations in salivary visfatin levels in response to non-surgical periodontal treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty individuals with moderate to severe chronic periodontitis and twenty periodontally healthy individuals were selected for this study according to clinical parameters. Patients with chronic periodontitis were treated by non-surgical periodontal therapy. Clinical parameters were recorded and saliva samples were obtained from the control group and test group before (T1 group) and one month after periodontal treatment (T2 group). Salivary visfatin concentrations were measured by standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Statistical analysis was performed with the statistical software SPSS, version 18. RESULTS: Visfatin was detectable in all samples. T1 and control groups were significantly different in terms of clinical parameters and visfatin levels. Visfatin concentrations were reduced significantly after non-surgical periodontal therapy. Periodontal treatment also resulted in significant reductions of all clinical parameters with the exception of clinical attachment level. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated that salivary levels of visfatin are reduced after non-surgical periodontal therapy to the levels comparable with those found in healthy individuals. Therefore, the salivary visfatin level may have the potential to be a target marker for assessment of responses to non-surgical periodontal therapy. However, more studies with larger sample sizes are necessary to validate these findings.

Salivary soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand/osteoprotegerin ratio in periodontal disease and health.

PURPOSE: The receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B (RANK)/RANK ligand (RANKL)/osteoprotegerin (OPG) system plays a significant role in osteoclastogenesis, activation of osteoclasts, and regulation of bone resorption. This study aimed to evaluate the use of the salivary soluble RANKL (sRANKL)/OPG ratio as a diagnostic marker for periodontitis in nonsmokers. METHODS: Twenty-five patients with chronic periodontitis and 25 individuals with a healthy periodontium were enrolled in this study. Samples containing 5 mL of unstimulated saliva were obtained from each subject. Salivary sRANKL and OPG concentrations were determined using a standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS ver. 18.0. RESULTS: The levels of sRANKL and OPG were detectable in all of the samples. Positive relationships were found between the plaque index and clinical attachment level and both the salivary concentration of sRANKL and the salivary sRANKL/OPG ratio (P<0.05). The salivary concentration of sRANKL and the sRANKL/OPG ratio were significantly higher in the periodontitis group than in the healthy group (P=0.004 and P=0.001, respectively). In contrast, the OPG concentration showed no significant differences between the groups (P=0.455). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the salivary sRANKL/OPG ratio may be helpful in the screening and diagnosis of periodontitis. However, longitudinal studies with larger populations are needed to confirm these results.