Microvascular density analysis and histological parameters of oral cancer progression.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the role of blood and lymphatic microvascular density in the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample was composed of 54 cases of OSCC. The immunoexpression to anti-alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and to anti-endoglin (CD105) was used to determine the microvessel density (MVD); anti-podoplanin (D2-40) was used to assess the lymphatic vessel density (LVD); vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was evaluated in malignant cells. The histological differentiation, the worst pattern of invasion (WPOI), tumour thickness and tumour budding (TB) intensity were assessed using haematoxylin-eosin and anti-pan-cytokeratin (AE1/AE3). Patients' age and sex, TNM classification and follow-up time were collected from the medical records. RESULTS: MVD markers presented a similar pattern of expression in blood vessels. However, only α-SMA + MVD was significantly higher among women and in tumours ≤4 cm. LVD was lower in tumours with lymph node metastasis. Regarding the histological parameters, high TB intensity was associated with histological differentiation, advanced clinical stage, greater tumour thickness and reduced disease-free survival. No difference was found in VEGF. CONCLUSIONS: The decrease in OSCC LVD could be related to pathological node involvement, whereas high TB intensity could indicate OSCC progression and worse patient outcomes.

Comparison of tobacco and alcohol consumption in young and older patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the proportion of young (up to 45 years of age) and older (over 45 years of age) oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients who report tobacco and alcohol consumption. METHODS: Observational studies reporting tobacco and alcohol consumption among young and older OSCC patients were selected in a two-phase process. Search strategies were conducted on five main electronic databases and complemented by grey literature. The risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute's Critical Appraisal Checklist for Studies Reporting Prevalence Data. Synthesis of results was calculated with the software R Statistics version 4.0.2 (The R Foundation). RESULTS: From 6675 records identified, 38 studies met the eligibility criteria and were selected for qualitative synthesis and meta-analysis, encompassing 2439 young and 13,393 older patients. Tobacco smoking was reported by 39.5% (confidence interval (CI) = 31.7% to 47.9%, I2 = 78%) of the young patients and 48.4% (CI = 37.8% to 59.2%, I2 = 94%) of the older patients. Alcohol consumption was reported by 30.9% (CI = 22.7% to 40.5%, I2 = 83%) of the young and 45.8% (CI = 35.6% to 56.5%, I2 = 95%) of the older patients (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The comparison in the proportion of individuals reporting tobacco and alcohol consumption demonstrated that these habits were more prevalent in the older group (48.4% and 45.8% respectively) than in the young group (39.5% and 30.9%, respectively). CLINICAL RELEVANCE: As a significant proportion of patients with OSCC reported no habits, novel risk factors for OSCC need to be investigated in further research.

Prevalence of oral mucosal disorders during pregnancy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of oral mucosal disorders during pregnancy. METHODS: Observational studies were selected by two reviewers in a two-phase process. Search strategies were applied at CINAHL, LILACS, LIVIVO, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, OpenGrey, and ProQuest. The risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute's Critical Appraisal Checklist for Studies Reporting Prevalence Data. Synthesis of results was calculated by the software R Statistics version 3.5.1 (The R Foundation, Vienna, Austria). Confidence in cumulative evidence was assessed by using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria. RESULTS: Fifteen studies met the eligibility criteria and were selected for qualitative synthesis and meta-analysis, of which 5935 participants were enrolled. The overall prevalence of oral mucosal disorders was 11.8%. Gingival hyperplasia (17.1%), morsicatio buccarum (10%), oral candidiasis (4.4%), pyogenic granuloma (3%), and benign migratory glossitis (2.8%) were the most prevalent lesions. The overall risk of bias was considered moderate, and the quality of evidence was very low. CONCLUSION: Disorders of the oral mucosa were present in approximately 1 out of 10 pregnant women. Gingival hyperplasia was the most prevalent lesion. Further studies should apply homogeneous methodology to improve the quality of evidence.