Ascorbic acid and its pro-oxidant activity as a therapy for tumours of oral cavity -- a systematic review.

Background: Ascorbic acid or Vitamin C is a potent dietary antioxidant with a double faced character, in that it exhibits a pro-oxidant activity arising from its routine antioxidant property that generates reactive free radicals, which induce cytotoxic effects at pharmacologic concentrations. A systematic review of this effect of ascorbic acid in the oral tumours and normal oral tissues would clearly elucidate the merits or demerits of employing vitamin C in treating the same.

Objective: The aim of our systematic review is to critically review the studies reported in literature that have studied the pro-oxidant activity of ascorbic acid as a therapeutic option for treatment of oral neoplasms and its effects on normal oral cells.

Angiogenin expression in human kidneys and Wilms' tumours: relationship with hypoxia and angiogenic factors.

Angiogenin (ANG) is a potent angiogenic factor that is up-regulated by hypoxia. ANG expression is well documented in normal tissues and in common tumours, but its expression has not been reported in the normal human kidney or in Wilms' tumours (WT). We examined ANG expression in WTs, human fetal kidney (FK) and childhood kidney (NK) samples and studied its relationship with microvascular density (MVD) and with three other hypoxia-induced angiogenic factors: lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFA) and BHLHE40 (basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor E40).

Salivary ferritin as a predictive marker of iron deficiency anemia in children.

Objectives: The objective of the study was to determine the salivary Ferritin levels in children with iron deficiency anemia and its reliability as a predictive marker of the disease and whether these levels could give a new hypothetical insight on the oral epithelial changes seen in patients with iron deficiency anemia.

Study Design: The study comprised of 60 children of which the study group comprised of 30 individuals; aged 8-14 years with iron deficiency anemia. Venous blood was collected and hematological examination was performed to determine the hemoglobin and serum ferritin levels to confirm the diagnosis.

GLUT1 protein expression correlates with unfavourable histologic category and high risk in patients with neuroblastic tumours.

GLUT1 is a hypoxia-induced gene that has many biologically important functions, and the overexpression of the GLUT1 protein correlates with poor prognosis in several adult cancers. The clinical significance of the GLUT1 protein in peripheral neuroblastic tumours (NTs) has not been comprehensively documented. In the present retrospective study, immunohistochemical analyses revealed the presence of GLUT1 in 44/96 (46 %) NTs.

Association between VEGF splice isoforms and progression-free survival in metastatic colorectal cancer patients treated with bevacizumab.

Purpose: Bevacizumab improves survival for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer with chemotherapy, but no proven predictive markers exist. The VEGF-A splice form, VEGF(165)b, anti-angiogenic in animal models, binds bevacizumab. We tested the hypothesis that prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) would occur only in patients with low relative VEGF(165)b levels treated with bevacizumab.

Amino acid profile of saliva from patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma using high performance liquid chromatography.

Oral cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide and it is the eighth most common cause of cancer death. Cancer cells utilize more glucose and amino acids than their benign counterparts. Diagnosis of disease via the analysis of saliva is potentially valuable, as the collection of fluid is associated with fewer compliance problems than the collection of blood.

Micronuclei and other nuclear anomalies in buccal mucosa following exposure to X-ray radiation.

Objective: To evaluate DNA damage and cellular death in exfoliated buccal mucosa cells from healthy individuals following dental X-ray exposure, to compare effects of different types of radiographic techniques using the buccal cytome assay and to standardize the staining procedure.

Study Design: This study comprised 90 patients, categorized into 3 groups subjected to intraoral periapical radiography, conventional orthopantomogram and digital orthopantomogram X-ray exposure. Exfoliated oral mucosa cells were collected immediately before the X-ray and 10 days later and stained using DNA-specific stains and nonspecific DNA stains.

VEGF-C, VEGF-D and VEGFR-3 expression in peripheral neuroblastic tumours.

Aims: More than 50% of neuroblastomas (NBs) present with haematogenous and/or lymphatic metastasis; however, little is known about the clinicopathological significance in NBs of the key lymphangiogenesis growth factors vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C and VEGF-D and the receptor VEGFR-3.

Methods And Results: Ninety-three NBs and nine ganglioneuromas (GNs) were immunostained for VEGF-C, VEGF-D and VEGFR-3. VEGF-C and VEGF-D were present in 76% and 82% of the NBs, respectively.

Sino nasal undifferentiated carcinoma: A rare entity.

Malignant neoplasms of the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity are rare, comprising only 3% of all head and neck malignancies. This includes both primary sinonasal neoplasms and metastatic disease. We present the case of a patient with a maxillary soft tissue swelling, which proved to be a rare malignant tumor of maxillary sinus origin, a sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma.

Podoplanin lymphatic density and invasion correlate with adverse clinicopathologic and biological factors and survival in neuroblastomas.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a challenging problem in oncology, as the majority of patients have lymphatic and/or hematogenous metastases at diagnosis. We investigated the prognostic significance of lymphatic density (LD) and invasion (LI) in NBs using the lymphatic endothelial marker podoplanin (PDPN). A total of 77 neuroblastic tumors and 9 ganglioneuromas (GNs) were immunostained for PDPN using D2-40 antibody.

HIF-1α up-regulation is associated with adverse clinicopathological and biological factors in neuroblastomas.

Aims: To study the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) in clinical neuroblastoma (NB) samples and its association with the clinicopathological features, biological features and survival of NB patients.

Methods And Results: Immunohistochemistry indicated that elevated HIF-1α expression was present in 30 of 90 (33%) NBs. This expression was correlated significantly and positively with higher clinical stage (P = 0.

Autofluorescence spectroscopy of betel quid chewers and oral submucous fibrosis: A pilot study.

Context: Oral lesions related to the use of commercially available tobacco (gutkha) is going to pose a major challenge for health care providers in India. Therefore, techniques that are useful for mass screening of the public for early identification of pre-cancerous lesions and conditions are necessary to overcome this challenge.

Aims: To identify the differences in autofluorescence spectra of normal oral mucosa, mucosa of betel quid chewers, and mucosa of oral sub mucous fibrosis.

Carbonic anhydrase IX up-regulation is associated with adverse clinicopathologic and biologic factors in neuroblastomas.

The overexpression of carbonic anhydrase IX, a hypoxia-induced enzyme, is associated with an adverse prognosis in many cancers. However, carbonic anhydrase IX expression in neuroblastoma, the most common extracranial pediatric tumor, has not been reported. Membranous and/or strong cytoplasmic carbonic anhydrase IX expression, assessed by immunohistochemistry, was present in 21 (23%) of 91 neuroblastomas but was absent in ganglioneuromas (n = 9).

PROX1 lymphatic density correlates with adverse clinicopathological factors, lymph node metastases and survival in neuroblastomas.

Increased lymphatic density correlates with lymph node metastases and survival in some epithelial cancers. The transcription factor, Prospero-related homeobox-gene 1, PROX1, plays an important role in the differentiation and proliferation of the lymphatic and nervous systems. We studied the clinicopathological significance of PROX1 expression in neuroblastomas (NBs) as the majority of patients have lymphatic and/or haematogenous metastases at diagnosis.

Angiogenin up-regulation correlates with adverse clinicopathological and biological factors, increased microvascular density and poor patient outcome in neuroblastomas.

Aims: As new biomarkers are urgently needed to identify children with high-risk neuroblastoma (NB), we studied the contribution of angiogenin (ANG) to angiogenesis and its association with clinicopathological and biological features and patient outcome in NB.

Methods And Results: Ninety NBs and 12 ganglioneuromas (GNs) were immunostained for ANG and CD31. ANG expression in NB tumoral cells (ANG scores) and vessels [ANG microvascular density (MVD)] and total MVD (CD31 MVD) were determined.

LYVE-1 upregulation and lymphatic invasion correlate with adverse prognostic factors and lymph node metastasis in neuroblastoma.

Neuroblastoma (NB) accounts for 15% of all childhood cancer deaths. The majority of patients have widespread lymphatic and/or haematogenous metastases at diagnosis, but lymphangiogenesis has not been well documented. Sixty-seven NBs were immunostained for the lymphatic endothelial marker, LYVE-1, and the lymphatic density (LD) and lymphatic invasion (LI), were counted in LYVE-1-expressing lymphatics.

Overexpression of carbonic anhydrase and HIF-1α in Wilms tumours.

Background: Overexpression of carbonic anhydrase (CA IX) is associated with poor survival in several adult-type cancers but its expression is undocumented in Wilms tumour (WT), the most common tumour of the paediatric kidney.

Methods: CA9 expression was measured using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 13 WTs and matched-paired non-neoplastic kidneys (NKs). CA IX and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 α-subunit (HIF-1α) protein were quantified in 15 matched-paired WTs and NKs using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

Lichen sclerosus of the oral cavity. Case report and review of literature.

Background: Lichen sclerosus is a chronic muco-cutaneous inflammatory disorder of uncertain etiology. The prevalence of lichen sclerosus affecting only the oral mucosa is extremely rare and only 26 cases with histologically verified oral lichen sclerosus have been reported.

Main Observations: A 60-year-old man was referred to our hospital for complaints of white lesions in the oral cavity, which was otherwise asymptomatic and did not have any cutaneous or anogenital lesions.

Age estimation in an Indian population using pulp/tooth volume ratio of mandibular canines obtained from cone beam computed tomography.

The present study assessed the suitability of pulp/tooth volume ratio of mandibular canines for age prediction in an Indian population. Volumetric reconstruction of scanned images of mandibular canines from 140 individuals (aged ten - 70 years), using computed tomography was used to measure pulp and tooth volumes. Age calculated using a formula reported earlier for a Belgian sample, resulted in errors > ten years in almost 86% of the study population.

Heterotopic salivary gland tissue: A report of two cases.

The heterotopic salivary gland or salivary choristoma is defined as a tumor - like growth of otherwise normal salivary gland found in an abnormal location. In general, salivary gland tissue is not observed in the gingiva, with only isolated case reports having been found. The occurrence of the case in the midline, especially in the anterior two - thirds of the hard palate, has not been documented so far (PubMed search engine).

Balance of pro- versus anti-angiogenic splice isoforms of vascular endothelial growth factor as a regulator of neuroblastoma growth.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the second most common extracranial tumour of childhood. Angiogenesis plays a crucial role in the growth and development of NB and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), one of the most potent stimuli of angiogenesis, has been studied extensively in vitro. VEGF(165) has been shown to be the predominant angiogenic isoform expressed in NB cell lines and tumours.

Supernumerary intestinal muscle coat in a patient with Hirschsprung disease/Mowat-Wilson syndrome.

We present the 1st case report of an additional enteric smooth muscle layer in a patient with Mowat-Wilson syndrome and Hirschsprung disease. After resection of the aganglionic colon at the age of 5 months, our patient initially suffered from intermittent constipation, and subsequently by the age of 5 years, he developed ongoing diarrhea requiring medical treatment for more than a decade. Although the exact mechanism of abnormal gut motility in this case is unknown, we postulate that the supernumerary muscle and its associated neural plexus may be responsible for the patient's unusual late complication in treated Hirschsprung disease.

Characterization of different tissue changes in normal, betel chewers, potentially malignant lesions, conditions and oral squamous cell carcinoma using reflectance confocal microscopy: correlation with routine histopathology.

The goal of this study was to characterize the features of normal mucosa, mucosa in betel chewers and smokers, potentially malignant lesions and squamous cell carcinoma of oral mucosa using reflectance confocal microscopy. Oral cavity biopsies were acquired from 25 patients from College of Dental Surgery, Saveetha University who underwent screening for suspected lesions of Oral precancer and Oral cancer along with normal patients who underwent impaction. Biopsies were acquired from the clinically suspicious area and immediately placed in Dulbecco modified eagles growth medium (DMEM).

Glandular odontogenic cyst: report of two cases and review of literature.

Glandular odontogenic cyst (GOC) is an uncommon jaw bone cyst of odontogenic origin described in 1987 by Gardner et al. It is a cyst having an unpredictable and potentially aggressive behaviour. It also has the propensity to grow to a large size and tendency to recur with only 111 cases having been reported thus far.

Epidermoid cysts: an exclusive palatal presentation and a case series.

Background: Epidermoid cysts (EC) can occur anywhere in the body. In the head and neck region, they more often present in the midline between the submental region and the supra sternal notch. EC in the oral cavity are extremely rare and present as benign, slow growing lesions.