Effect of Oral Inflammatory Burden on Size and Stage of Oral Tongue Cancer.

Objective: Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma is an aggressive life-threatening disease, the prognosis of which is affected by tumor stage and size. We retrospectively studied whether oral inflammatory burden and established tongue carcinoma etiological factors exert an impact on tumor size and stage.

Materials And Methods: Medical records of 183 subjects diagnosed with tongue carcinoma at Helsinki University Hospital were investigated.

Tertiary lymphoid structures in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A multi-institutional study.

Background: Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) associate with prognosis of many malignancies. However, the clinical significance of TLSs is not well-elucidated in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients.

Material And Methods: In this whole population-based multicenter study, a total of 115 patients treated for NPC were included.

Expression of toll-like receptors in recurrent pleomorphic adenoma and carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma.

Pleomorphic adenoma (PA) is a benign salivary gland tumour that may recur or undergo malignant transformation (CXPA). Toll-like receptors (TLR) mediate immune responses triggered by various agents such as viruses and are related to tumour formation either by stimulating or suppressing their growth, with variation across different tumour entities. We compared TLR immunohistochemical expression in PA, its recurrent counterparts and CXPA and evaluated the effect of virus presence in these tumours.

Prognostic effect of immunohistochemically determined molecular subtypes in gastric cancer.

Introduction: Gastric cancer is the fifth most common cancer worldwide and the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death. Two molecular subtyping classifications were recently introduced: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Asian Cancer Research Group (ACRG) classifications.

Methods: We classified a cohort of 283 gastric cancer patients undergoing surgery at Helsinki University Hospital between 2000 and 2009.

Systemic inflammatory response in colorectal cancer is associated with tumour mismatch repair and impaired survival.

The systemic inflammatory response (SIR), defined as elevated levels of circulating C-reactive protein (CRP), is an important predictor of impaired survival in colorectal cancer. The aim of this study was to explore the prognostic role of SIR and its association with tumour mismatch repair status and the immune response. Immune activity profiles of mononuclear cells isolated from CRC tissues and blood in the U-CAN exploration cohort (n = 69), were analysed by flow cytometry.

Stroma-and Tumor-Associated Predictive Features in Salivary Gland Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Head and Neck.

Background: There is lack of knowledge on the utility of prognostic histopathologic characteristics in adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the head and neck. We evaluated the prognostic value of tumor and stroma-related histopathologic features in ACC.

Materials And Methods: A total of 65 cases of ACC from minor and major salivary glands were included in this study.

Multiparameter imaging reveals clinically relevant cancer cell-stroma interaction dynamics in head and neck cancer.

Epithelial tumors are characterized by abundant inter- and intra-tumor heterogeneity, which complicates diagnostics and treatment. The contribution of cancer-stroma interactions to this heterogeneity is poorly understood. Here, we report a paradigm to quantify phenotypic diversity in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with single-cell resolution.

Tumor Microenvironment-Based Risk Stratification of Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Background: Evaluation of the prognostic impact of tumor microenvironment (TME) has received attention in recent years. We introduce a TME-based risk stratification for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC).

Material And Methods: A total of 182 patients treated for OPSCC at the Helsinki University Hospital were included.

Multiple DNA Viruses and HPV Integration in Inverted Papilloma and Associated Sinonasal Carcinoma.

Objectives: Sinonasal inverted papilloma (IP) has a locally destructive growth pattern, can relapse, and can undergo malignant transformation (IP-associated sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma (IP-SNSCC)). Human papillomaviruses (HPV)-6 and -16 are frequently detected in IPs. To clarify the possible roles of other DNA viruses in IPs, we explored viruses not studied in this context before.

Toll-like receptors 2 and 4, and bacterial proteins in IgG4-related sialadenitis, other types of chronic sialadenitis and sialolithiasis.

Background: The association of chronic sclerosing sialadenitis and IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) has resulted in the more frequent identification of IgG4-positivity in submandibular gland inflammations, also uncovering IgG4 overexpression in nonspecific inflammations. These findings lead us to hypothesise that IgG4-positive sialadenitis represents a continuous inflammatory process overlapping histologically with IgG4-RD, possibly differing in aetiology. However, the antigen underlying IgG4 overexpression in IgG4-positive sialadenitis and IgG4-RD remains unknown.

The Prognostic Significance of Collagen VI in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Objectives: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by poor prognosis and lack of biomarkers. A rich desmoplastic tumor stroma is considered a hallmark of PDAC and previous studies have indicated upregulated expression of collagen VI (COL6) in PDAC. COL6 is shown to associate with prognosis in many cancers but has been less extensively studied in PDAC.

LRG1 and SDR16C5 protein expressions differ according to HPV status in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

The increasing incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is primarily due to human papillomavirus, and understanding the tumor biology caused by the virus is crucial. Our goal was to investigate the proteins present in the serum of patients with OPSCC, which were not previously studied in OPSCC tissue. We examined the difference in expression of these proteins between HPV-positive and -negative tumors and their correlation with clinicopathological parameters and patient survival.

Immunoexpression pattern of TLR3 and TLR7 in minor salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinoma and its role in prognosis.

Objectives: Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the salivary glands has poor long-term prognosis and a high metastatic rate. Toll-like receptors (TLRs), first-line immune activators, have been associated with both tumor progression and suppression. We aimed to study TLR3 and TLR7 behavior in ACC.

Presence of herpesviruses, parvoviruses, and polyomaviruses in sinonasal lymphoma.

Purpose: Sinonasal lymphoma (SL) is a rare lymphatic neoplasm of the nasal cavities, paranasal sinuses and nasopharynx. Whereas some risk factors for SL subtypes have been identified, their aetiology is unknown. Along with other predisposing factors, the viral association of lymphomas, such as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Burkitt and Hodgkin lymphomas, is well-established.

Viral DNA in submandibular gland tissue with an inflammatory disorder.

Background: The etiology behind different types of chronic sialadenitis (CS), some of which exhibit IgG4 overexpression, is unknown. Further, IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) commonly affects the submandibular gland, but its relationship to IgG4-overexpressing CS, and the antigen triggering IgG4 overexpression, remain unknown.

Materials And Methods: By qPCR, we assessed the presence of 21 DNA-viruses causing IgG4 overexpression in submandibular gland tissue from patients with IgG4-positive and IgG4-negative CS.

E2F transcription factors promote tumorigenicity in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal cancers with limited treatment options, illustrating an urgent need to identify new drugable targets in PDACs.

Objective: Using the similarities between tumor development and normal embryonic development, which is accompanied by rapid cell expansion, we aimed to identify and characterize embryonic signaling pathways that were reinitiated during tumor formation and expansion.

Methods And Results: Here, we report that the transcription factors E2F1 and E2F8 are potential key regulators in PDAC.

IGSF3 tissue expression in squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx: a novel tool for prognosis assessment in HPV-related and HPV-unrelated disease.

Biomarkers are not broadly used in the management of head and neck cancers (HNCs). Biomarkers have been beneficial in the management of other cancers, however, not in HNCs. Therefore, we observed the immunopositivity of a novel biomarker called immunoglobulin superfamily member 3 (IGSF3) in tumor tissues in HPV-related and HPV-unrelated OPSCC.

Expression of Toll-like receptors in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Almost 380,000 new cases of oral cancer were reported worldwide in 2020. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) accounts for 90% of all types of oral cancers. Emerging studies have shown association of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in carcinogenesis.

Sporadic deficient mismatch repair in colorectal cancer increases the risk for non-colorectal malignancy: A European multicenter cohort study.

Background And Objectives: Disparities between tumors arising via different sporadic carcinogenetic pathways have not been studied systematically. This retrospective multicenter cohort study evaluated the differences in the risk for non-colorectal malignancy between sporadic colorectal cancer (CRC) patients from different DNA mismatch repair status.

Methods: A retrospective European multicenter cohort study including in total of 1706 CRC patients treated between 1996 and 2019 in three different countries.

High-tissue FRMD6 expression predicts better outcomes among colorectal cancer patients.

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths. The hippo pathway works as a regulator of organ growth and is often a target for mutations in cancer. Ferm domain containing protein 6 (FRMD6) is an activator of the hippo pathway.

The prognostic role of single cell invasion and nuclear diameter in early oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: The clinical significance of single cell invasion and large nuclear diameter is not well documented in early-stage oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC).

Methods: We used hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections to evaluate the presence of single cell invasion and large nuclei in a multicenter cohort of 311 cases treated for early-stage OTSCC.

Results: Single cell invasion was associated in multivariable analysis with poor disease-specific survival (DSS) with a hazard ratio (HR) of 2.

Induction of Collagenolytic MMP-8 and -9 Tissue Destruction Cascade in Mouth by Head and Neck Cancer Radiotherapy: A Cohort Study.

The effect of head and neck cancer (HNC) radiotherapy (RT) on biomarkers is not known but there is a lot of potential for gaining more precise cancer treatments and less side effects. This cohort study investigated the levels and molecular forms of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) -8 and -9, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and interleukin (IL)-6 in mouth-rinse samples as well as the clinical periodontal status in HNC patients ( = 21) receiving RT. Complete periodontal examinations were performed pre-RT and one month after RT.

Liprin-α1 contributes to oncogenic MAPK signaling by counteracting ERK activity.

PTPRF interacting protein alpha 1 (PPFIA1) encodes for liprin-α1, a member of the leukocyte common antigen-related protein tyrosine phosphatase (LAR-RPTPs)-interacting protein family. Liprin-α1 localizes to adhesive and invasive structures in the periphery of cancer cells, where it modulates migration and invasion in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and breast cancer. To study the possible role of liprin-α1 in anticancer drug responses, we screened a library of oncology compounds in cell lines with high endogenous PPFIA1 expression.