Targeted saliva metabolomics in Sjögren's syndrome.

Objective: Sjögren's Syndrome (SS) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune exocrinopathy, and although, the role of metabolism in the autoimmune responses has been discussed in diseases such as lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and scleroderma. There is a lack of information regarding the metabolic implications of SS. Considering that the disease affects primarily salivary glands; the aim of this study is to evaluate the metabolic changes in the salivary glands' microenvironment using a targeted metabolomics approach.

Molecular Aspects of Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma and Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Salivary Gland.

Background: Salivary gland tumors (SGTs) are rare and highly heterogeneous lesions, making diagnosis a challenging activity. In addition, the small number of studies and samples evaluated difficults the determination of prognosis and diagnosis. Despite the solid advances achieved by research, there is still an intense need to investigate biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and that explain the evolution and progression of SGTs.

MicroRNA copy number alterations in the malignant transformation of pleomorphic adenoma to carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma.

Objective: This study used array comparative genomic hybridization to assess copy number alterations (CNAs) involving miRNA genes in pleomorphic adenoma (PA), recurrent pleomorphic adenoma (RPA), residual PA, and carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma (CXPA).

Materials And Methods: We analyzed 13 PA, 4 RPA, 29 CXPA, and 14 residual PA using Nexus Copy Number Discovery software. The miRNAs genes affected by CNAs were evaluated based on their expression patterns and subjected to pathway enrichment analysis.

TGFβ signaling pathway in salivary gland tumors.

Objective: Pleomorphic adenoma (PA), mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC), and adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) are the most prevalent salivary gland tumors. Their pathogenesis has been recently associated with complex molecular cascades, including the TGFβ signaling pathway. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of genes associated with the TGFβ signaling pathway (TGFB1, ITGB6, SMAD2, SMAD4, FBN1, LTBP1, and c-MYC) to map possible downstream alterations in the TGFβ cascade.

Dynamic Role of miRNAs in Salivary Gland Carcinomas: From Biomarkers to Therapeutic Targets.

Background: Salivary gland carcinomas (SGCs) are a rare group of malignant neoplasms of the head and neck region. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that have been associated with the control biological process and oncogenic mechanism by the regulation of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Recent evidence has suggested that miRNA expression may play a role in the tumorigenesis and carcinogenesis process in SGCs.

Cortical microarchitecture and remodeling-associated gene expression related to oral cancer prognosis.

The objective of this study was to assess the remodeling-associated gene expression in the mandible of patients diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), investigating the cortical microarchitecture, and their influence on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates. A total of twenty-four patients who underwent mandibulectomy for OSCC treatment had two bone fragments harvested from the mandible for gene expression (RANK, RANKL, OPG, and SOST), and microarchitecture analysis, including bone volume, surface, mineral density, degree of anisotropy, and fractal dimension. The prognosis of the patients was assessed.

Relevant proteins for the monitoring of engraftment phases after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Introduction: Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT) has been successfully used as standard therapy for hematological disorders. After conditioning therapy, patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT, present three different phases of engraftment: early pre-engraftment, early post-engraftment, and late engraftment. Severe complications are associated with morbidity, mortality, and malignancies in these phases, which include effects on the oral cavity.

Tight junction gene expression in salivary gland tumors.

Salivary gland neoplasms comprise a heterogeneous group of lesions with multiple histological subtypes, each with distinct growth patterns, resulting in a spectrum of tumor-specific prognoses; pleomorphic adenoma (PA) and mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) are the most common representatives of these neoplasms. Many studies have associated specific profiles of membrane and adhesion molecules in salivary gland tissues; these profiles appear to be relevant in tumor biology as well as be interpreted as fingerprints for tumor classification, diagnostic prognostic and therapeutic targets. One of these membrane molecule complexes are the tight junctions, composed by various proteins, in which claudins are protagonists.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition related to bone invasion in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Introduction: Bone invasion is an important prognostic factor in oral squamous cell carcinoma, leading to a lower survival rate and the use of aggressive treatment approaches. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is possibly involved in this process, because it is often related to mechanisms of cell motility and invasiveness. This study examined whether a panel of epithelial-mesenchymal markers are present in cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma with bone invasion and whether these proteins have any relationship with patients' clinical-pathological parameters and prognostic factors.

EMT in salivary gland tumors: the expression of microRNAs miR-155 and miR-200c is associated with clinical-pathological parameters.

Background: Epithelial to mesenchymal transition promotes cell adhesion loss, enabling invasion and metastasis. MicroRNAs are a class of small non-codifying RNAs that regulate gene expression.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of microRNAs that could regulate the expression of EMT factors in salivary gland tumors (SGTs).

Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Bone Invasion: Possible Roles of E-Cadherin in Osteoclastogenesis and Bone Infiltration.

Introduction: Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common cancer of the oral cavity. When the tumor invades the bone tissue, the prognostic and survival rates decrease a lot, and the treatment becomes more aggressive, with several damages to the patient and health system. Many of the molecular mechanisms of bone invasion process are not understood yet, but it is already known that one of central processes of tumor evolution - adjacent tissues invasion and metastasis - is a large spectrum of phenotypic changes in epithelial cells to mesenchymal, in a process named as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).

Prognostic Implications of ALDH1 and Notch1 in Different Subtypes of Oral Cancer.

Background: The present study aimed to investigate the clinical significance and prognostic value of the immunoexpression of cancer stem cell markers, ALDH1 and Notch1, in subtypes of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Materials And Methods: The expression of ALDH1 and Notch1 in 63 patients with well and poorly differentiated oral squamous cell carcinomas and their subtypes, verrucous carcinoma and basaloid squamous cell carcinoma, was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The semi-quantitative analysis of the ALDH1 and Notch immunoexpression levels, based on the capture of 10 microscopic fields, at 400X magnification, at the invasive tumor front was performed and associated with clinicopathological variables using the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test.

The relevance of miRNAs as promising biomarkers in lip cancer.

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the expression of miR-181b, miR-21, miR-31, and miR-345 in actinic cheilitis with and without epithelial dysplasia and lower lip squamous cell carcinomas, and to verify if the deregulated expression of these miRNAs would be indicative of malignant transformation.

Materials And Methods: The sample was selected from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues of 19 actinic cheilitis without epithelial dysplasia, 32 actinic cheilitis with epithelial dysplasia, 42 lower lip squamous cell carcinomas, and 10 nonaltered oral mucosa of the lip. The microRNA (miR, miRNA) expression was quantified by real-time RT-PCR and the expression of the selected miRNAs among the groups of actinic cheilitis and lower lip cancer was compared by chi-square.

Characteristics of aquaporin 1, 3, and 5 expression during early murine salivary gland development.

Aquaporins (AQPs) are essential to coordinate the transit of water and ions through the cell membrane. In salivary glands (SGs), AQPs have been associated with saliva formation, facilitating water absorption through the epithelium during the formation of hypotonic saliva, which is then secreted into the oral cavity. Different members of the AQP family have been suggested to play distinct roles during embryonic development, highlighted by their specific expression patterns.

Claudin expression is maintained in mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the salivary gland.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of claudin-1, -3, -4, -5 and -7 proteins in mucoepidermoid carcinoma of oral cavity and analyze whether EGF may interfere in the expression of the genes that encode claudins using in vitro models.

Material And Methods: Using immunohistochemistry, the expression of claudins was searched in 36 histologically graded cases of mucoepidermoid carcinoma. The association of expression of claudins with clinical-pathological parameters was evaluated.

Beta adrenergic receptor activation inhibits oral cancer migration and invasiveness.

Objective: The aim of this study was to verify β2-AR expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (SCC-9 and SCC-25), and to investigate the role of this receptor in migration and invasion of these neoplastic cells.

Design: SCC-9 and SCC-25 cells were investigated for gene and protein expression of β2-AR. Cell migration and invasion were analyzed by wound healing assay and transwell invasion camera system.

Aquaporin 1, 3, and 5 Patterns in Salivary Gland Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma: Expression in Surgical Specimens and an In Vitro Pilot Study.

Salivary gland aquaporins (AQPs) are essential for the control of saliva production and maintenance of glandular structure. However, little is known of their role in salivary gland neoplasia. Salivary gland tumors comprise a heterogeneous group of lesions, featuring variable histological characteristics and diverse clinical behaviors.

GSTM1, GSTT1 and GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphisms in outcomes of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients treated with cisplatin chemoradiation.

Cisplatin (CDDP) combined with radiotherapy (RT) is employed in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with variable toxicities and clinical response. Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) participate in CDDP excretion from cells, and genes encoding GSTs, GSTM1, GSTT1and GSTP1, are polymorphic in humans. This prospective study aimed to evaluate the roles of GSTM1, GSTT1, and GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphisms in outcomes of HNSCC patients treated with CDDP chemoradiation.

Apoptotic signaling in salivary mucoepidermoid carcinoma.

Background: Mucoepidermoid carcinoma is the most common malignant tumor of salivary glands. Apoptosis plays an important role in organogenesis of glandular structures, and aberrations of apoptotic mechanisms is associated with a wide array of pathologic conditions.

Methods: The immunoexpression of proteins associated with apoptosis and proliferation was evaluated in 40 mucoepidermoid carcinoma cases.

Apoptosis and proliferation during human salivary gland development.

Human salivary gland (SG) branching morphogenesis is an intricate mechanism divided into stages, prebud, initial bud, pseudoglandular, canalicular, and terminal bud, to form the final lobular structure of the organ. The coordination of molecular cascades, including cell proliferation and apoptosis, are fundamental to this process. The intrinsic apoptosis pathway appears to be important in the early phases of ductal cavitation and luminisation; however, the role of the extrinsic apoptosis pathway has still to be determined.

MicroRNAs expression pattern related to mast cell activation and angiogenesis in paraffin-embedded salivary gland tumors.

Unlabelled: The aim of this study was evaluate the expression profile of microRNAs related to mast cells activation and angiogenesis in salivary glands tumors.

Method: We have analyzed the expression of miR-9, miR-16, miR-17, miR-132, miR-195 and miR-221 by real-time RT-PCR, in 11 adenoid cystic carcinomas, 9 mucoepidermoid carcinomas and 11 pleomorphic adenomas. Immunohistochemical investigation was performed to detect mast cells tryptase and CD-34 for microvessels biomarkers.

The expression of water channel proteins during human salivary gland development: a topographic study of aquaporins 1, 3 and 5.

Some members of aquaporin family (AQP) plays crucial functions in salivary synthesis and secretion. These proteins expression has already been reported during salivary gland formation, however no previous studies in human developing glands have been performed. We evaluated AQP1, 3 and 5 expression through the stages of human salivary gland morphogenesis and discuss the possible role of AQP for glandular maturation.

Is DNA ploidy related to smoking?

Background: In the oral cavity, genomic instability is caused by long-term exposure to carcinogens. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between smoking and DNA ploidy.

Methods: Cytological material was obtained from patients participating in the Outpatient Smoking Treatment Program of the Heart Institute (INCOR-HCFMUSP), and of the Discipline of Oral Medicine (ICT-UNESP).

Evaluation of cortical mandibular bone in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the mandible cortical bone changes in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Patients And Methods: Twenty patients who underwent some mandibular bone removal as part of the treatment of OSCC had bone samples collected in two parts: in the proximity of the tumor (BPT) and in the surgical margin (BEP). Cortical microarchitecture was analyzed trough micro-computed tomography, together with texture analysis, followed by microcrack evaluation in histological sections and gene expression of RANK, RANKL, OPG, and sclerostin by quantitative polymerase chain reaction.