Pathological changes in oral epithelium and the expression of SARS-CoV-2 entry receptors, ACE2 and furin.

Background: Expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-2 and co-factors like furin, play key-roles in entry of SARS-CoV-2 into host cells. Furin is also involved in oral carcinogenesis. We investigated their expression in oral pre-malignant/malignant epithelial pathologies to evaluate whether ACE2 and furin expression might increase susceptibility of patients with these lesions for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Oral erythroplakia and oral erythroplakia-like oral squamous cell carcinoma - what's the difference?

Background: Oral erythroplakia (OE) is a rare oral potentially malignant disorder, that has a high rate of malignant transformation. The definition of OE still lacks uniformity. In particular, lesions that look clinically like erythroplakias, but are histopathologically diagnosed as squamous cell carcinomas are still sometimes called erythroplakias.

The profile of chronic hyperplastic candidiasis: a clinico-pathological study.

The aims of this study were investigation of clinical presentation, systemic factors, and long-term malignant transformation rate in chronic hyperplastic candidiasis versus leukoplakia. This is a retrospective case-controlled study of cases with chronic hyperplastic candidiasis and leukoplakia without dysplasia, diagnosed between 2000 and 2013. A database was created, and all additional biopsies from the same cases were searched up to 2022, for records of oral malignant transformation.

The effect of post-COVID-19 on gustatory and olfactory function: A preliminary case-controlled study.

Aims: The aim of the study was to analyze objective and subjective olfactory/gustatory function in post-COVID-19 infection (PCI).

Materials And Methods: Patients with past PCR-confirmed COVID-19 infection and persistent olfactory/gustatory complaints were investigated. Olfactory threshold and identification, gustatory detection, identification, and magnitude scaling were tested.

Histopathological and histomorphometric analysis of glandular odontogenic cyst-A diagnostic aid.

Objectives: Compare recognized microscopic parameters, including variations in width, plaque-like thickenings, intra-epithelial microcysts, clefts, mucous, hob-nail, ciliated and clear cells, between glandular odontogenic cyst (GOC) and GOC-like cysts, investigate the extent of cyst circumference exhibiting these features, and inflammation.

Materials And Methods: Archival records of cysts with histological features of GOC evaluated between 2000 and2020 were retrieved. Slides were revised, and the expression of features throughout the cyst wall was analyzed.

Unexpected Candidal Hyphae in Oral Mucosa Lesions-A Clinico-Pathological Study.

Background: Oral mucosal biopsies might harbor candidal hyphae (CH) in the absence of any clinical signs or symptoms. Aim: To assess oral mucosa biopsies for the frequency of unexpected CH and characterize their clinico-pathological features. Materials and Methods: All biopsy reports (2004−2019) were searched using CH/candida/candidiasis as key words.

Minimizing MRONJ after Tooth Extraction in Cancer Patients Receiving Bone-Modifying Agents.

Background: Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (MRONJ) is a mucosal lesion of the maxillofacial region with necrotic bone exposure. MRONJ is believed to be multifactorial. Tooth extraction is debatably a risk factor for MRONJ.

Peripheral giant cell granuloma associated with dental implants: Case-series.

Purpose: The objectives were to characterize clinico-pathologically a large series of peri-implant peripheral giant cell granuloma (PGCG), and investigate the role of foreign material as a possible etiological factor.

Material And Methods: The study was retrospective, conducted on peri-implant specimens submitted for histology between 2005 and 2021.

Results: Three hundred and thirty-five peri-implant biopsies were retrieved, of which 52 (15.

Conceptual changes in ameloblastoma: Suggested re-classification of a "veteran" tumor.

Objectives: The merging of ameloblastoma (AM) with mural unicystic ameloblastoma (UAM-M) was suggested by the 2017 WHO based on similar treatment needs. In an international multicenter study, we investigated the characteristics of their merged product (merged-AM) and raised the possibility of unifying AM and UAM (total-AM).

Materials And Methods: AM and UAM (luminal/intraluminal/mural), separate and combined, were analyzed for demographic/clinical/radiological features.

Expression of stem cell markers in stroma of odontogenic cysts and tumors.

Background: The stroma of odontogenic cysts/tumors may confer them differential biological behavior. We aimed to investigate the immunoexpression of stem cell markers (Nanog, SOX2, Oct4, and CD34) in the stroma of odontogenic cysts and tumors. CD34 was investigated exclusively as a marker for stromal fibroblast/fibrocyte cells (CD34 + SFCs).

Palatal Erythema with Histological Psoriasiform Pattern: An Enigmatic Oral Finding Shared by a Range of Conditions.

Long standing, asymptomatic, well-demarcated erythema of the hard palate with a histopathological psoriasiform pattern comprises a challenging diagnosis. We present a series of patients with such clinical and histological findings and discuss the possible diagnoses. We collected all patients with palatal erythematous lesions that had well-documented clinical examination.

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).

Oral cancer-associated fibroblasts predict poor survival: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: To perform systematic review and meta-analysis on correlations between cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and the risk of death for patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Subjects And Methods: English literature (1966-2018) was systematically analyzed for studies that immunohistochemically assessed CAF density by alpha-smooth muscle actin and presented 5 year survival rates by Kaplan-Meier plots. Mean age of patients, proportion of male/female patients, and male/female majority (>50% male/female patients) per study were also collected.

Atherosclerotic carotid plaque on panoramic radiographs: neural network detection.

Aim: Atherosclerotic carotid plaques (ACPs) constitute the main etiological factor in about 15% of strokes. ACPs can be detected on routine dental panoramic radiographs. As these are one of the most commonly performed dental images, they can be used as a source of available data for computerized methods of automatic detection of ACPs in order to significantly increase their timely diagnosis.

FTIR-based spectrum of salivary exosomes coupled with computational-aided discriminating analysis in the diagnosis of oral cancer.

Purpose: To determine the Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of salivary exosomes from oral cancer (OC) patients and healthy individuals (HI) and to assess its diagnostic potential using computational-aided models.

Methods: Whole saliva samples were collected from 21 OC patients and 13 HI. Exosomes were pelleted using differential centrifugation (12,000g, 120,000g).

Fermented Lingonberry Juice Inhibits Oral Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma Invasion Similarly to Curcumin.

Background: Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) cells are highly proliferative and invasive. Lingonberry contains several polyphenolic compounds similar to curcumin. We hypothesize that fermented lingonberry juice (FLJ) has an anti-invasive and anti-proliferative effect on OTSCC cells similarly to curcumin, which is known to be anti-carcinogenic.

Morphological and molecular features of oral fluid-derived exosomes: oral cancer patients versus healthy individuals.

Purpose: Oral cancer (OC) patients are at high risk to develop recurrent disease or secondary primary cancers with no available biomarkers to detect these events until a visible lesion is readily present and diagnosed by biopsy. Exosomes secreted by cancer cells are involved in tumor growth, invasion and metastasis. We aimed to determine morphological and molecular differences between oral fluid (OF)-derived exosomes of OC patients and those isolated from healthy individuals (HI).

Caveolin-1 accumulation in the tongue cancer tumor microenvironment is significantly associated with poor prognosis: an in-vivo and in-vitro study.

Background: Caveolin-1 (CAV1) may be upregulated by hypoxia and acts in a tumor-dependent manner. We investigated CAV1 in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) and its association with clinical outcomes, and studied in vitro possible ways for CAV1 accumulation in the tumor microenvironment (TME).

Methods: TSCC cases (N = 64) were immunohistochemically stained for CAV1.

Human saliva-derived exosomes: comparing methods of isolation.

ExoQuick-TC(TM) (EQ), a chemical-based agent designed to precipitate exosomes, was calibrated for use on saliva collected from healthy individuals. The morphological and molecular features of the precipitations were compared with those obtained using the classical, physical-based method of ultracentrifugation (UC). Electron microscopy and immunoelectron microscopy with anti-CD63 showed vesicular nanoparticles surrounded by bi-layered membrane, compatible with exosomes in EQ, similar to that observed with UC.

Insights into the role of components of the tumor microenvironment in oral carcinoma call for new therapeutic approaches.

The research on oral cancer has focused mainly on the cancer cells, their genetic changes and consequent phenotypic modifications. However, it is increasingly clear that the tumor microenvironment (TME) has been shown to be in a dynamic state of inter-relations with the cancer cells. The TME contains a variety of components including the non-cancerous cells (i.