Cancer-associated fibroblasts in the tumor microenvironment of tongue carcinoma is a heterogeneous cell population.

Objectives: To examine different immunophenotypes of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) and to investigate how they related to clinical outcomes.

Methods: Serial sections from 54 cases of TSCC were immunohistochemically stained with α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA, CAF marker) to determine CAF density, and double-immunostained with αSMA combined with CD80 and CD86 (myeloid/monocytic-derived cell markers), Nanog (mesenchymal stem cell marker) and CD133 (hematopoietic/endothelial stem cell marker). Density of cells co-expressing these marker combinations was semi-quantitatively assessed in 5 randomly selected high power fields within the tumor area and scored as 1 - one-to-five stained cells in each field, 2 - more than 5 stained cells in each field; any finding less than score 1, was allocated a score of 0.

Markers of the pre-metastatic niche "knock on the door" of metastasis-free cervical lymph nodes in patients with oral cancer.

Aim: To assess expression of some markers of the pre-metastatic niche (PMN) in lymph nodes (LNs) of oral cancer patients.

Materials: LNs from metastatic-free neck dissections (LN0/N0, N = 43) and metastatic-free LNs in the vicinity of metastasis-containing LNs (LN0/N+, N = 30) were immuno-histochemically stained for lysyl oxidase (LOX), fibronectin (FN), vascular-endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-1 and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9. Staining was assessed as 0 (no or weak staining), 1 (strong stain in 25% cells or extracellular area), 2 (same as 1 but in up to 50%) and 3 (same as 1 but in > than 50% of cells/area).

Metastatic tumors in oral mucosa and jawbones: Unusual primary origins and unusual oral locations.

Aim: To perform clinico-pathological characterization of a large series of oral metastases, collected from 3 main medical centers in Israel and compare findings to data on frequency of primary cancer types in the population.

Materials: Pathology archives were searched for cases of metastatic tumors to the oral soft tissues and jawbones, 1990 - 2016. Metastases to the skin of face or to major salivary glands have been excluded.

Histopathological spectrum of bone lesions associated with dental implant failure: osteomyelitis and beyond.

Early or late post-implant placement complications are usually localized infectious/inflammatory processes and treated accordingly. If the healing process does not take place within a reasonable timeframe, the possibility of a pathologic process beyond localized infection/inflammation should be suspected. We describe a radiological/histopathological spectrum of bony lesions ranging from inflammatory to malignant lesions surrounding failed dental implants.

Mutational analysis of PTEN/PIK3CA/AKT pathway in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/v-akt murine thymoma (AKT) viral oncogene pathway is involved in regulating the signaling of multiple biological processes such as apoptosis, metabolism, cell proliferation, and cell growth. Mutations in the genes associated with the PI3K/AKT pathway including PI3K, AKT, RAS and PTEN, are infrequently found within head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and more specifically are rarely reported in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cases. We aimed to investigate the frequency of mutations in AKT1, PTEN, PIK3CA, and RAS (K-RAS, N-RAS, H-RAS) genes in 37 cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Relative frequency of localized reactive hyperplastic lesions of the gingiva: a retrospective study of 1675 cases from Israel.

Background: The gingiva reacts to chronic irritation or trauma with localized reactive hyperplastic lesions (LRHL) that can be classified into four groups: focal fibrous hyperplasia (FFH), pyogenic granuloma (PG), peripheral ossifying fibroma (POF), and peripheral giant cell granuloma (PGCG). This study determined the frequency of LRHL in an oral pathology biopsy service and compared these data with reports from other countries.

Methods: The material included the biopsies of all consecutive LRHL of the gingiva stored in the departmental database (1989-2008).

Metastatic tumours to the oral cavity - pathogenesis and analysis of 673 cases.

The oral region is an uncommon site for metastatic tumour cell colonization and is usually evidence of a wide spread disease. In 25% of cases, oral metastases were found to be the first sign of the metastatic spread and in 23% it was the first indication of an undiscovered malignancy at a distant site. The jawbones, particularly the mandible, were more frequently affected than the oral soft tissues (2:1).