A Review of Oral Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease: Considerations for dental hygiene practice.

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT), also known as stem cell or bone marrow transplantation, is a cellular therapy performed to treat a variety of malignant and non-malignant hematologic diseases. Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is a common immune-mediated complication of alloHCT that can affect various organs of the body, with approximately 70% of affected patients presenting with oral features. Oral manifestations of cGVHD include lichenoid lesions (diagnostic feature), erythema, pseudomembranous ulcerations, superficial mucoceles, salivary gland hypofunction, xerostomia, orofacial sclerosis, trismus, and increased sensitivity to spicy, acidic, hard, and crunchy foods.

Effect of COVID-19 on training and mental health of oral medicine residents in North America.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess resident and faculty perception of the effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on the training experience, education, and psychological well-being of oral medicine (OM) residents.

Study Design: An anonymous 16-item online questionnaire was e-mailed to faculty and residents of all Commission on Dental Accreditation-accredited OM residency programs in North America. Survey questions asked about the pandemic's effect on resident educational, clinical, and research activities and the well-being of the residents.

In vitro Study of the Role of Human Neutrophil Enzymes on Root Caries Progression.

The role of the host immune system in caries progression is mainly speculative, and it is believed that it entails the enzymatic degradation of the dentin organic matrix. The aim of this study was to evaluate the proteolytic effect of human neutrophil enzymes on root caries progression. For this, specimens of bovine root dentin were divided into 4 groups (n = 30): caries (C), caries + neutrophils (C + N), no caries (Control), and no caries + neutrophils (Control + N).

Vitamin D deficiency and periodontal clinical attachment loss in HIV-seropositive women: A secondary analysis conducted in the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS).

Objective: The aim of this study was to test a hypothesized positive association between low vitamin D (VitD) serum levels and the severity of periodontal disease in women with HIV infection.

Study Design: This was a cross-sectional secondary analysis of data from an oral substudy conducted within the Chicago site of the Women's Interagency HIV Study. Serum VitD levels and clinical attachment loss (CAL) measurements were available for 74 women with HIV infection.

Common oral complications of head and neck cancer radiation therapy: mucositis, infections, saliva change, fibrosis, sensory dysfunctions, dental caries, periodontal disease, and osteoradionecrosis.

Patients undergoing radiation therapy for the head and neck are susceptible to a significant and often abrupt deterioration in their oral health. The oral morbidities of radiation therapy include but are not limited to an increased susceptibility to dental caries and periodontal disease. They also include profound and often permanent functional and sensory changes involving the oral soft tissue.

Patient reported outcomes of the -clinical use of a proprietary topical dry mouth product.

Purpose: To present patient reported changes in oral symptoms in response to an open-label product trial conducted in patients self-identifying as having Sjögren's syndrome.

Methods: A survey was conducted in conjunction with the Sjögren's Syndrome Foundation and 151 foundation members completed a survey rating their common oral symptoms, based upon the Vanderbilt Head and Neck Symptom Survey before and after use of the trial products, including rinse, -lozenges, gel, and spray.

Results: Subjects reported multiple oral symptoms with the highest rated symptoms involving dry mouth with 80% of symptoms showing statistically significant reduction from pre- to posttest.

Gene expression based evidence of innate immune response activation in the epithelium with oral lichen planus.

Objective: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a disease of the oral mucosa of unknown cause producing lesions with an intense band-like inflammatory infiltrate of T cells to the subepithelium and keratinocyte cell death. We performed gene expression analysis of the oral epithelium of lesions in subjects with OLP and its sister disease, oral lichenoid reaction (OLR), in order to better understand the role of the keratinocytes in these diseases.

Design: Fourteen patients with OLP or OLR were included in the study, along with a control group of 23 subjects with a variety of oral diseases and a normal group of 17 subjects with no clinically visible mucosal abnormalities.

A prototype tobacco-associated oral squamous cell carcinoma classifier using RNA from brush cytology.

Background: Oral cancer in the form of squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is typically detected in advanced stages when treatment is complex and may not be curative. The need for surgical biopsy may contribute to delays in diagnosis and impede early detection. Multiple studies of RNA from surgically obtained tumor samples have revealed many genes differentially expressed with this disease.

The anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and protective effect of S100A8 in endotoxemic mice.

Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) produce and release copious amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which target potential bacterial invaders but also contribute to the inflammation-associated organ injuries seen in sepsis. Calprotectin is an immune regulatory protein complex made of S100A8 and S100A9 that inhibits the oxidative metabolism of PMNs in vitro, an effect that can be potentiated by the controlled activation of the protease activated receptor-2 (PAR2). The aim of this study was to test the use of a dual strategy of calprotectin and PAR2 administration to mitigate the deleterious inflammation seen in sepsis.

Synthetic decapeptide reduces bacterial load and accelerates healing in the wounds of restraint-stressed mice.

Wound healing is a complex process involving four transitional yet concurrent stages: coagulation, inflammation, cell proliferation/epithelialization and remodeling. These overlapping stages occur uneventfully in normal physiology. However, during psychological stress, the inflammatory response can become dysregulated and result in increased susceptibility to bacterial infection and delayed wound closure.

The down regulation of neutrophil oxidative metabolism by S100A8 and S100A9: implication of the protease-activated receptor-2.

S100A8 and S100A9 regulate polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) recruitment and represent 40% of PMN cytosolic protein weight. We have shown that S100A8/S100A9 inhibit PMN oxidative metabolism. The present study was designed to elucidate the mechanisms of this anti-oxidative effect.

Antimicrobial decapeptide KSL-W enhances neutrophil chemotaxis and function.

Mammalian cationic antimicrobial peptides have received increased attention over the last decade, due to their prokaryotic selectivity and decreased risk of microbial resistance. In addition, antimicrobial peptides display differential biological effects on mammalian immune cell function, such as migration, adhesion, and modulation of respiratory burst, which make them even more attractive as therapeutic agents. Synthetic combinatorial libraries provide a time-efficient and cost-effective source for these diverse molecules.

Analysis of RNA from brush cytology detects changes in B2M, CYP1B1 and KRT17 levels with OSCC in tobacco users.

RNA expression analysis of oral keratinocytes can be used to detect early oral cancer, but a limitation is the inability to obtain high quality RNA from oral tissue without using biopsies. While oral cytology cell samples can be obtained from patients in a minimally invasive manner, they have not been validated for quantitative analysis of RNA expression. Earlier we showed RNA from brush cytology of hamster Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) demonstrated differential expression of B2M and CYP1B1 using real time RT-PCR in a dibenz[a,I]pyrene, tobacco carcinogen, induced model of this disease.

Effect of human immunodeficiency virus infection on S100A8/A9 inhibition of peripheral neutrophils oxidative metabolism.

Neutrophils are endowed with a highly active oxidative metabolism that is crucial for their antimicrobial functions but can produce oxidative conditions disruptive to the host. Opportunistic infections associated with HIV disease and ex vivo studies of neutrophils from HIV patients suggest that neutrophil dysfunctions significantly contribute to HIV disease. The calcium-binding proteins S100A8 and S100A9 are abundant cytosolic constituents of human neutrophils.

S100A8 and S100A9 inhibit neutrophil oxidative metabolism in-vitro: involvement of adenosine metabolites.

Neutrophils are short-lived granulocytic cells of the innate immune system specialized in the production of reactive oxygen species. S100A8 and S100A9 and their heterocomplex calprotectin play a role in neutrophil recruitment and represent 40% of neutrophil cytosolic protein weight. The present study was designed to test the effect of S100A8 and S100A9 on the rate of neutrophil oxidative metabolism.

Ala42S100A8 ameliorates psychological-stress impaired cutaneous wound healing.

Although wound healing is generally a successful, carefully orchestrated and evolutionary sound process, it can be disregulated by extrinsic factors such as psychological-stress. In the SKH-1 restraint stress model of cutaneous wound healing, the rate of wound closure is approximately 30% slower in stressed mice. Delay in healing is associated with exaggerated acute inflammation and deficient bacterial clearance at the wound site.

Substitution of methionine 63 or 83 in S100A9 and cysteine 42 in S100A8 abrogate the antifungal activities of S100A8/A9: potential role for oxidative regulation.

S100A8 and S100A9 and their heterocomplex calprotectin (S100A8/A9) are abundant cytosolic constituents in human neutrophils previously shown to possess antifungal activity. This study was designed to investigate mechanisms involved in the modulation of the antifungal properties of S100A8/A9. S100A8, S100A9 and site-directed mutants of both proteins were tested for their antifungal effect against Candida albicans in microplate dilution assays.

Changes in the pattern of oral lesions associated with HIV infection: implications for dentists.

Broad access to better HIV treatment has resulted in a significant reduction in the prevalence of HIV-associated oral lesions in western industrialized countries. However, a possible increased prevalence of oral warts and a potential dissociation between CD4+ T-cell counts and oral manifestations of HIV require continued vigilance by oral health care providers. Head and neck and oral examination coupled with a careful consideration of the complications associated with hyposalivation remain essential components of a comprehensive oral health care program.

Utility of toluidine blue in oral premalignant lesions and squamous cell carcinoma: continuing research and implications for clinical practice.

Toluidine blue (TB) has been shown to aid in the detection and diagnosis of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and oral premalignant lesions (OPLs). TB has been shown to enhance visualization of oral lesions and assist in identifying sites of increased risk of dysplastic/malignant change and promote biopsy. TB has been shown to identify lesions with molecular changes associated with risk of progression of OPLs to OSCC.