Association between age, gender, and oral traumatic ulcerative lesions: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Oral traumatic ulcerative lesions (OTUL) are commonly encountered in clinical practice, yet there is limited research on their clinical characteristics and traumatic etiological factors. This retrospective study aimed to analyze the age, gender, clinical characteristics, and traumatic etiological factors in a large cohort of patients with OTUL and provide valuable insights for dental clinicians to optimize patient care and prevention strategies. METHODS: A total of 1543 patients with OTUL were enrolled in this study. Age, gender, medical history, clinical characteristics and traumatic etiological factors were collected and analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the significance of age and gender as factors related to OTUL. RESULTS: The study revealed significant variations in clinical characteristics and traumatic etiological factors among different age groups and between genders. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that both age and gender were significant factors related to OTUL. CONCLUSION: The clinical characteristics of OTUL and traumatic etiological factors appear to be significantly different according to age and gender. More targeted prevention strategies should be implemented for all age and gender groups.

Vitamin B12 deficiency may play an etiological role in atrophic glossitis and its grading: A clinical case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Existing studies have reported the significant association between atrophic glossitis (AG) and hematinic deficiencies, including iron, folate and vitamin B12 deficiency. However, these findings were inconsistent. AG can be graded as partial or complete atrophy. It is still unclear whether hematinic deficiencies are associated with the grading of AG. METHODS: 236 AG patients and 208 sex- and age-matched healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Hematological tests including complete blood count, and serum levels of folate, ferritin and vitamin B12 were performed. The AG group was divided into those with partial AG and those with complete AG according to the extent of papillary atrophy. Statistical analysis was performed to assess whether hematinic deficiencies are risk factors for AG and its grading. RESULTS: Compared with the healthy controls, AG patients had significantly higher frequencies of vitamin B12 deficiency (68.22%), ferritin deficiency (13.98%) and anemia (21.61%). The differences in hematinic deficiencies and anemia between AG patients and healthy controls changed according to gender and age. The frequencies of serum vitamin B12 deficiency and anemia in the complete AG subgroup were significantly higher than those in the partial AG subgroup. Logistic regression analysis revealed that vitamin B12 deficiency and anemia were significantly correlated with AG and its grading. The AG patients with vitamin B12 deficiency responded well to supplement therapy. CONCLUSION: AG could be an important clinical indicator for potential vitamin B12 deficiency, especially when the degree of tongue atrophy more than 50% and complete atrophy. Vitamin B12 deficiency might play an etiological role in the development of AG.

The profile of hematinic deficiencies in patients with oral lichen planus: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a relatively common mucocutaneous disorder, and its causative factors and pathogenesis are not fully understood. Existing studies on the association between hematinic deficiencies and OLP are limited and inconsistent. The aim of this study was to assess the hematinic deficiencies in a cohort of OLP patients and evaluate the correlation between hematinic deficiencies and OLP. METHODS: A total of 236 OLP patients and 226 age-and-gender-matched healthy controls were enrolled in this study. The levels of hemoglobin (Hb), serum folate, vitamin B12 and ferritin were measured and compared between OLP patients and healthy controls. An REU (reticular/hyperkeratotic, erosive/erythematous, ulcerative) scoring system was adopted and compared between the OLP patients with and without hematinic deficiencies. The correlation between hematinic deficiencies and OLP was analyzed. RESULTS: The frequencies of serum ferritin and vitamin B12 deficiency in OLP patients were both significantly higher than those of the healthy controls. According to gender and age, the profiles of hematinic deficiencies in OLP patients were significantly different. As for the REU score, no significant difference existed between OLP patients with and without hematinic deficiencies. Both serum ferritin deficiency and serum vitamin B12 deficiency were significantly correlated with OLP. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggested a significant association between hematinic deficiencies and OLP. Iron, folate, and vitamin B12 levels in OLP patients should be monitored routinely. Further studies are warranted to explore the interactions between OLP and hematinic deficiencies.

Malignant transformation of oral epithelial dysplasia: clinicopathological risk factors and outcome analysis in a retrospective cohort of 138 cases.

AIMS: To explore the usefulness of a new binary system of grading dysplasia proposed by the World Health Organization and to identify significant risk factors for malignant transformation in a long-term follow-up cohort of patients with oral epithelial dysplasia. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 138 patients with histologically confirmed oral dysplasia between 1978 and 2008 were reviewed retrospectively in our department. The mean follow-up period was 5.1 years. Of these dysplasias, 37 (26.8%) developed into cancer, with a mean duration of 4.6 years. Cox regression analysis revealed that high-grade dysplasia was an independent risk factor for transition, but age, gender, lesion site, diet habit, smoking and alcohol intake were not risk factors. High-grade dysplasia was associated with a 2.78-fold (95% confidence interval 1.44-5.38; P = 0.002) increased risk of transition, as compared with low-grade dysplasia. Consistently, high-grade dysplasia had a significantly higher incidence of malignancy than low-grade dysplasia by Kaplan-Meier analysis (log-rank test, P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The utilization of high-grade dysplasia as a significant indicator for evaluating malignant transformation risk in patients with potentially malignant lesions is suggested; this may be helpful to guide treatment selection in clinical practice.

Lingual Linear Lesions: A Clinical Sign Strongly Suggestive of Severe Vitamin B12 Deficiency.

BACKGROUND: Lingual linear lesions (LLLs) are the oral linear lesions located on the dorsum, lateral borders, and/or ventral surface of tongue. It has been suggested that LLLs might be an early clinical sign of vitamin B12 deficiency. Here, a retrospective study was conducted to further investigate and validate the association between LLL and vitamin B12 deficiency. METHODS: Based on the clinical examination, patients with LLLs were enrolled and analyzed retrospectively. Data regarding clinical and laboratory features were obtained. Follow-up was done at least 6 months following appropriate supplementation therapy. RESULTS: A total of 57 patients, consisting of 20 males and 37 females with a mean age of 59.12 years (range, 18-80), were enrolled in this study. The hematological examination revealed that 56 (98.25%) of the 57 patients had severe serum vitamin B12 deficiency, and the other 1 patient had a borderline low level of vitamin B12 . All the enrolled patients responded well to cobalamin replacement therapy. CONCLUSION: LLLs might be a clinical sign strongly suggestive of severe vitamin B12 deficiency.

MicroRNA-155 in oral squamous cell carcinoma: Overexpression, localization, and prognostic potential.

BACKGROUND: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a common malignancy with poor prognosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in cancer, but their role in OSCC is not clarified. METHODS: We performed miRNA microarray, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to examine miRNA expression in OSCC and paired adjacent cancer-free mucosal (ACF) tissues. RESULTS: Thirteen miRNAs, including miRNA-155, were upregulated (>2-fold) in OSCC against ACF. MiRNA-155 was confirmed to have significantly higher expression in OSCC against ACF (paired-samples t test; p = .041) and it was localized in the cancer nest, inflammatory area, and vascular endothelium of OSCC. High expression of miRNA-155 in ACF tissue was an independent prognostic indicator for OSCC survival. CONCLUSION: MiRNA-155 was overexpressed in OSCC and it was located in the cancer nest, inflammatory area, and vascular endothelium of OSCC. High miRNA-155 expression level in ACF may predict poor prognosis in patients with OSCC.

Hematinic deficiencies in patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis: variations by gender and age

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between hematinic deficiencies and recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS). Material and Methods: 517 RAS patients and 187 healthy controls were enrolled in the present study. Hematinic deficiencies, including serum ferritin, folic acid, and vitamin B12 deficiencies were assessed for each participant. Gender and age were taken into account and the collected data were statistically analysed. Results: Compared with the healthy controls, a significantly higher overall frequency of hematinic deficiencies was found in RAS patients (p< 0.001). When gender and age were taken into account, significant differences in hematinic deficiencies were observed among RAS patients. Serum ferritin deficiency was much more common in young and middle-aged female RAS patients (age< 60). Serum folate deficiency and serum vitamin B12 deficiency were both much more common in the young adult group of male RAS patients (21-40 years of age). Logistic regression analysis revealed that both gender and age have significant correlation with the presence of hematinic deficiencies in the RAS patients. Conclusions: Significant variations in hematinic deficiencies were demonstrated in RAS patients across different genders and age groups. We suggest that further studies on the hematinic deficiencies of RAS patients should take into account the gender and age of participants (AU)

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Upregulation of miR-31* is negatively associated with recurrent/newly formed oral leukoplakia.

BACKGROUND: Oral leukoplakia (OLK) is a potentially malignant disorder of the oral cavity. However, the underlying mechanism of OLK is still unclear. In this study, we explore possible miRNAs involved in OLK. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using miRNA microarrays, we profiled miRNA expression in OLK and malignantly transformed OLK (mtOLK) tissue samples. The upregulation of miR-31*, miR-142-5p, miR-33a, miR-1259, miR-146b-5p, miR-886-3p, miR-886-5p, miR-519d, and miR-301a along with the downregulation of miR-572, miR-611, miR-602, miR-675, miR-585, miR-623, miR-637, and miR-1184 in mtOLK were new observations. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analyses confirmed that miR-31* is highly expressed in mtOLK. There was a significant difference between the FISH score (p<0.05) in patients with or without recurrent/newly formed OLK. Functional analyses demonstrated that a miR-31* inhibitor decreased apoptosis in the Leuk-1, which is an immortalized oral epithelial cell line spontaneously derived from an oral leukoplakia lesion. miR-31* regulated apoptosis, cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in the HOIEC, which is a HPV E6/E7-immortalized oral epithelial cell line. Furthermore, miR-31* modulated the biological functions of apoptosis, cell proliferation, cell cycle, migration, and invasion in the oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line, Cal-27. Using bioinformatic analyses and dual luciferase reporter assays, we determined that the 3' untranslated region of fibroblast growth factor 3 (FGF3) is the target of miR-31*. Expression of FGF3 was downregulated or upregulated in the presence of a miR-31* mimic or inhibitor, respectively. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Upregulation of miR-31* is negatively associated with recurrent/newly formed OLK. MiR-31* may exert similar but distinguishable effects on biological function in oral cells with different malignant potential. FGF3 is the target of miR-31*. miR-31* may play an important role during OLK progression through regulating FGF3. MiRNA* strands may also have prominent roles in oral carcinogenesis.

Serum zinc levels in 368 patients with oral mucosal diseases: A preliminary study

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the serum zinc levels in patients with common oral mucosal diseases by comparing these to healthy controls. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 368 patients, which consisted of 156 recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) patients, 57 oral lichen planus (OLP) patients, 55 burning mouth syndrome (BMS) patients, 54 atrophic glossitis (AG) patients, 46 xerostomia patients, and 115 sex-and age-matched healthy control subjects were enrolled in this study. Serum zinc levels were measured in all participants. Statistical analysis was performed using a one-way ANOVA, t-test, and Chi-square test. RESULTS: The mean serum zinc level in the healthy control group was significantly higher than the levels of all other groups (p < 0.001). No individual in the healthy control group had a serum zinc level less than the minimum normal value. However, up to 24.7% (13/54) of patients with AG presented with zinc deficiency, while 21.2% (33/156) of patients with RAS, 16.4% (9/55) of patients with BMS, 15.2% (7/46) of patients with xerostomia, and 14.0% (8/57) of patients with OLP were zinc deficient. Altogether, the zinc deficiency rate was 19.02% (70/368) in the oral mucosal diseases (OMD) group (all patients with OMD). The difference between the OMD and healthy control group was significant (p< 0.001). Gender differences in serum zinc levels were also present, although not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Zinc deficiency may be involved in the pathogenesis of common oral mucosal diseases. Zinc supplementation may be a useful treatment for oral mucosal diseases, but this requires further investigation; the optimal serum level of zinc, for the prevention and treatment of oral mucosal diseases, remains to be determined

Oral melanotic macule and primary oral malignant melanoma: epidemiology, location involved, and clinical implications.

BACKGROUND: Oral malignant melanoma must be differentiated from melanotic macule. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review of 2 series of oral melanotic macule (n = 52) and oral melanoma (n = 130) were conducted to investigate the epidemiology and location involved and assess their differences. RESULTS: The mean age of oral melanotic macule patients was 47.3 years, with female:male ratio 2.1 and the lower lip being the predominant location. The mean age of oral melanoma patients was 53.8 years, with no observed sex predilection and the main locations being palate and gingiva. Differences between the 2 cohorts in age (P = .006), gender (P = .014), and lesion site (P < .001) were noted. In this review, 1 case of oral melanotic macule was found to subsequently develop into melanoma. CONCLUSIONS: Oral melanotic macule may possess malignant potential. Biopsy is recommended to differentiate oral melanoma from melanotic macule for male patients >60 years old with suspected melanotic macule lesion located on the palate.