Variants in the autoimmune disease risk locus influence the regulatory network in immune cells and salivary gland.

Fine mapping and bioinformatic analysis of the genetic risk association in Sjögren's Disease (SjD) and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) identified five common SNPs with functional evidence in immune cell types: rs4938573, rs57494551, rs4938572, rs4936443, rs7117261. Functional interrogation of nuclear protein binding affinity, enhancer/promoter regulatory activity, and chromatin-chromatin interactions in immune, salivary gland epithelial, and kidney epithelial cells revealed cell type-specific allelic effects for all five SNPs that expanded regulation beyond effects on and expression. Mapping the local chromatin regulatory network revealed several additional genes of interest, including .

Assessing the knowledge and awareness of US oncologists regarding the specialty of oral medicine.

Objectives: This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the awareness among United States (US) oncologists about oral medicine (OM) as a specialty of dentistry, and their collaboration with OM providers.

Methods: An online survey was conducted, inviting 1350 US oncologists, with data collected on demographics, practice background, comfort level with diagnosing and treating oral conditions, referral practices for oral conditions, and more.

Results: Of the invited 1350 oncologists, 192 responded (14% response rate).

World Workshop on Oral Medicine VIII: barriers to research in oral medicine: lessons learned from a bibliometric analysis of the oral potentially malignant disorders literature.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the impact of oral medicine (OM) practitioners on the literature regarding oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs), focusing on oral leukoplakia.

Study Design: Using a bibliometric approach on the Scopus database until September 1, 2022, the top 100 cited articles were analyzed for article type, subtopic, specialty contributions, author metrics, and keywords. The Bibliometrix package for R and VOSviewer were used to evaluate interactions and generate science maps.

Sjögren's Versus Non-Sjögren's Ocular Features: Similar Symptoms, But Significantly Worse Signs.

Purpose: To examine the ocular signs and symptoms in participants of the Sjögren's International Collaborative Clinical Alliance cohort, and to compare them across Sjögren's disease (SjD) status.

Methods: Our study population comprised 3380 Sjögren's International Collaborative Clinical Alliance participants who had no missing data relevant to this study. Participants' SjD status was assessed using the updated 2016 American College of Rheumatism/European League Against Rheumatism SjD classification criteria.

World Workshop on Oral Medicine VIII: Barriers to research in oral medicine: results from a global survey.

Objectives: To explore factors influencing research interest and productivity and perceived barriers to conducting research in Oral Medicine (OM).

Methods: Invitations to participate in an online survey were e-mailed to a network of international OM practitioners and related professional organizations. Questions captured respondents' demographic/professional variables and gauged research interest, productivity, and perceived barriers to conducting research specifically in OM.

Identification of Sjögren's syndrome patient subgroups by clustering of labial salivary gland DNA methylation profiles.

Heterogeneity in Sjögren's syndrome (SS), increasingly called Sjögren's disease, suggests the presence of disease subtypes, which poses a major challenge for the diagnosis, management, and treatment of this autoimmune disorder. Previous work distinguished patient subgroups based on clinical symptoms, but it is not clear to what extent symptoms reflect underlying pathobiology. The purpose of this study was to discover clinical meaningful subtypes of SS based on genome-wide DNA methylation data.

Calibration and reliability testing of a novel asynchronous photographic plaque scoring system in young children.

Objectives: The Simplified Oral Hygiene Index for Maxillary Incisors (OHI-MIS) is a novel plaque scoring system adapted for young children. This study describes calibration training and testing used to establish the inter- and intra-rater reliability for OHI-MIS measured from clinical photographs.

Methods: Two raters from the Coordinated Oral Health Promotion Chicago (CO-OP) and one from the Behavioral EConomics for Oral health iNnovation (BEECON) randomized controlled trials (RCTs) underwent calibration with gold standard raters, followed by annual re-calibration.

Oral manifestations of delusional infestation: a case series.

Background: Delusional infestation (DI) is a rare psychotic disorder characterized by a patient's false belief that the body is infested with living or non-living organisms in the absence of clinical evidence of disease. Based on the underlying etiology, DI can be classified into primary and secondary forms based on the presence or absence of an underlying condition or previously diagnosed psychiatric disorder. This paper discusses a condition that is not commonly reported in the literature.

How Are Sicca Signs and Symptoms Associated With Depression Among Men Classified With and Without Sjögren Disease?

Purpose: Sjögren disease (SjD) cohorts represent rich resources to study associations between dry eye/mouth (sicca) signs/symptoms and depression. Because SjD affects mainly women, little is known about men with sicca signs/symptoms and associations with depression. The Sjögren's International Collaborative Clinical Alliance contained many men allowing for studying associations between sicca signs/symptoms and depression.

Salivary Gland Dysfunction Secondary to Cancer Treatment.

The number of cancer survivors are increasing and so are the oral toxicities from cancer therapy. Most patients receiving treatment for cancer develop some form of oral adverse events including, but not limited to, mucositis, opportunistic infections, dry mouth, and/or osteonecrosis of the jaw. One of the most common complications from head and neck cancer radiation therapy is salivary gland dysfunction (SGD).

The role of telemedicine for symptoms management in oral medicine: a retrospective observational study.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has had devastating effect on access to care in many specialties and dental services including oral medicine. Following the shelter-in-place orders in March 2020, we implemented Tele(oral)medicine practices for the diagnosis and management of some oral medicine conditions.

Objectives: To assess the role of telemedicine visits with respect to managing pain among patients affected by oral diseases.

Salivary metabolite levels in perinatally HIV-infected youth with periodontal disease.

Introduction: Salivary metabolite profiles are altered in adults with HIV compared to their uninfected counterparts. Less is known about youth with HIV and how oral disorders that commonly accompany HIV infection impact salivary metabolite levels.

Objective: As part of the Adolescent Master Protocol multi-site cohort study of the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS) network we compared the salivary metabolome of youth with perinatally-acquired HIV (PHIV) and youth HIV-exposed, but uninfected (PHEU) and determined whether metabolites differ in PHIV versus PHEU.

Ocular Clinical Signs and Diagnostic Tests Most Compatible With Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca: A Latent Class Approach.

Purpose: To evaluate the ocular signs and tests for keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) in the absence of a gold standard.

Methods: Cross-sectional study of participants from the Sjögren's International Collaborative Clinical Alliance (SICCA) registry. Participants had oral/ocular/rheumatologic examinations, blood/saliva samples collected, and salivary gland biopsy.

Oral Cytokine Levels Are More Linked to Levels of Plasma and Oral HIV-1 RNA Than to CD4 T-Cell Counts in People With HIV.

Background: We determined the levels of 11 soluble immune mediators in oral washings of AIDS Clinical Trials Group A5254 participants with varying degrees of plasma viremia and CD4 T-cell counts to characterize the mucosal immune response at different stages of HIV-1 infection.

Methods: A5254 was a multicenter, cross-sectional study in people with HIV (PWH) recruited into 4 strata based on CD4 count and levels of plasma viremia: stratum (St) A: CD4 ≤200 cells/mm, HIV-1 RNA (viral load [VL]) >1000 cps/mL; St B: CD4 ≤200, VL ≤1000; St C: CD4 >200, VL >1000; St D: CD4 >200, VL ≤1000. Oral/throat washings were obtained from all participants.

Current trends and new developments in HIV research and periodontal diseases.

With the advent of combined antiretroviral therapies, the face of HIV infection has changed dramatically from a disease with almost certain mortality from serious comorbidities, to a manageable chronic condition with an extended lifespan. In this paper we present the more recent investigations into the epidemiology, microbiology, and pathogenesis of periodontal diseases in patients with HIV, and the effects of combined antiretroviral therapies on the incidence and progression of these diseases both in adults and perinatally infected children. In addition, comparisons and potential interactions between the HIV-associated microbiome, host responses, and pathogenesis in the oral cavity with the gastrointestinal tract and other areas of the body are presented.

Biomarkers of oral inflammation in perinatally HIV-infected and perinatally HIV-exposed, uninfected youth.

Aim: To examine oral biomarkers that have been associated with periodontal disease progression in HIV-infected adults in perinatally HIV-infected and HIV-exposed but uninfected youth.

Material And Methods: This was a cross-sectional, multicentre substudy of youth participating in the Oral Health Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort study. Gingival crevicular fluid repository samples from participants with and without periodontal disease (using Gingival Index [GI] and Bleeding on Probing [BOP] parameters on dental examination) were tested for concentration levels of inflammatory biomarkers.