Regional odontodysplasia diagnosed and treated via multidisciplinary approach: a case report.

Regional odontodysplasia (RO) is a rare non-hereditary dental anomaly associated with dysplasia. Its etiology remains unclear but is known to affect both the mesodermal and ectodermal dental components, as well as deciduous and permanent dentitions. Its young age of onset and complexity has great physical and psychological impact on the affected patients. However, the clinical management of RO remains unified without standardized treatment guidelines. Thus, this study aimed to report an RO case, the first from Jiangxi Province, China, and discuss its clinical diagnosis and treatment to provide a reference to treat similar cases more effectively in the future.

Deregulation of circ_003912 contributes to pathogenesis of erosive oral lichen planus by via sponging microRNA-123, -647 and -31 and upregulating FOXP3.

BACKGROUND: The FOXP3/miR-146a/NF-κB axis was previously reported to modulate the induction and function of CD4+ Treg cells to alleviate oral lichen planus. Also, other signaling pathways including microRNA-155-IFN-γ loop and FOXP3/miR-146a/TRAF6 pathways were reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of oral lichen planus. In this study, we aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of EOLP. METHOD: CircRNA microarray was used to observe the expression of candidate circRNAs in CD4+ T-cells collected from different groups. Real-time PCR and Western blot were conducted to observe the changes in the expression of different miRNAs, mRNAs and proteins. Flow cytometry was performed to compare the counts of Treg cells in the HC and EOLP groups, and ELISA was performed to evaluate the changes in the expression of inflammatory cytokines. RESULT: No obvious differences were seen between the HC and EOLP groups in terms of age and gender. Among all candidate circRNAs, the expression of circ_003912 was most dramatically elevated in CD4+ T-cells collected from the EOLP group. The levels of miR-1231, miR-31, miR-647, FOXP3 mRNA and miR-146a were decreased while the expression of TRAF6 mRNA was increased in CD4+ T-cells collected from the EOLP group. The count of Treg cells in the EOLP group was dramatically increased. The levels of inflammatory cytokines including IL-4 IFN-γ, IL-10 and IL-2 were influenced by the presence of circ_003912. In CD4+ T-cells in the EOLP group, the levels of IL-4 and IL-10 were decreased while the levels of IFN-γ and IL-2 were increased. The presence of miR-1231, miR-31 and miR-647 all obviously inhibited the expression of circ_003912, which was validated to sponge the expression of above miRNAs. Also, FOXP3 mRNA was proved to be targeted by miR-1231, miR-31 and miR-647. Transfection of circ_003912 up-regulated the expression of circ_003912, miR-146a and FOXP3 mRNA/protein while down-regulating the expression of miR-1231, miR-31, miR-647, and TRAF6 mRNA/protein. The levels of inflammatory cytokines including IL-4 IFN-γ, IL-10 and IL-2 as well as the speed of cell proliferation were influenced by circ_003912. CONCLUSION: In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of EOLP which involved the functioning of circ_003912. We first demonstrated that circ_003912 was up-regulated in CD4+ T-cells of the EOLP group. And miRNAs including miR-1231, miR-31 and miR-647 were sponged by circ_003912 and down-regulated in CD4+ T cells of the EOLP group, which subsequently up-regulated the expression of FOXP3 and miR-146a, and resulted in the inhibition of NF-kB.

Salivary Circular RNAs Hsa_Circ_0001874 and Hsa_Circ_0001971 as Novel Biomarkers for the Diagnosis of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Recent studies have demonstrated that circular RNAs (circRNAs) can serve as potential molecular markers for disease diagnosis. However, little is known about their diagnostic potential for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). This study aimed to determine the expression of circRNAs in the saliva of OSCC patients to identify novel biomarkers for OSCC screening. METHODS: Microarray screening of circRNA was performed to identify differentially expressed circRNAs in saliva from 3 OSCC patients compared with 3 healthy controls. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to validate the results, and the association between these confirmed salivary circRNAs and clinicopathological features was analyzed using the chi-squared test. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed to evaluate the diagnostic value of the circRNAs identified. Preoperative expression and postoperative expression (1 month after the surgery) of hsa_circ_0001874 and hsa_circ_0001971 was also determined. RESULTS: Our results indicated 12 upregulated and 20 downregulated circRNAs in the saliva from the OSCC patients compared with that from the healthy controls. Among the differentially expressed circRNAs, hsa_circ_0001874, hsa_circ_0001971, and hsa_circ_0008068 were upregulated and hsa_circ_0000140, hsa_circ_0002632, and hsa_circ_0008792 were downregulated in the OSCC group versus the healthy group. Clinical data indicated that salivary hsa_circ_0001874 was correlated with TNM stage (P=0.006) and tumor grade (P=0.023) and that hsa_circ_0001971 was correlated with TNM stage (P=0.019). The combination of hsa_circ_0001874 and hsa_circ_0001971 showed an area under the ROC curve of 0.922 (95% confidence interval, 0.883-0.961; P< 0.001). The risk score based on the combination of hsa_circ_0001874 and hsa_circ_0001971 also discriminated patients with OSCC from patients with oral leukoplakia (P< 0.001). Moreover, the expression levels of salivary hsa_circ_0001874 and hsa_circ_0001971 were clearly decreased in the postoperative samples compared with preoperative samples (P< 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to demonstrate the potential of salivary hsa_circ_0001874 and hsa_circ_0001971 as biomarkers for the diagnosis of OSCC.

Expression and clinical significance of microRNA-1246 in human oral squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNAs that may function as oncogenes or tumor suppressors. Previous studies have shown that the expression level of miR-1246 was enhanced in multiple types of cancers. However, the expression of miR-1246 in human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and its prognostic values remain unclear. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to analyze the expression of miR-1246 in 106 pairs of matched normal and tumor tissue samples. The chi-square test was used to examine the associations between miR-1246 expression and the clinicopathological characters. The survival curves were constructed by the Kaplan-Meier method. The influence of each clinical variable on survival was examined by the Cox multivariate regression analysis. RESULTS: The expression level of miR-1246 was significantly higher in tumor tissues and oral cancer cell lines than in normal controls (p<0.01). High expression of miR-1246 was found to significantly correlate with nodal status (p=0.015), TNM stage (p=0.005), and tumor grade (p=0.002). Enhanced miR-1246 correlated significantly with patient survival (p<0.01). In multivariate analysis, we found that miR-1246 expression was an independent prognostic factor of poor patient survival (p= 0.036; HR=2.82; 95% CI=1.07-7.43). CONCLUSIONS: High miR-1246 expression is associated with poor prognosis in OSCC and may serve as a novel prognostic marker in OSCC.

The effect of m6A methyltransferase METTL3 mediated TMEM30A regulation on tumor energy metabolism and cisplatin anti-tumor activity in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

AIMS: Cisplatin (CDDP) is still one of the most commonly used first-line treatments for advanced and recurrent oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients in clinical practice. However, the decrease in tumor sensitivity to CDDP weakens its therapeutic effect. There is still limited research on the effect of METTL3-mediated methylation of m6A on CDDP sensitivity in OSCC. TMEM30A widely exists in biomembranes and regulates the lipid asymmetry of the membrane, but there is no report on its function in OSCC. This study aims to explore the specific mechanism by which METTL3 regulates m6A methylation of TMEM30A and affects the occurrence and development of OSCC, and further investigate the effects of METTL3 and TMEM30A on the anti-tumor activity of CDDP. KEY FINDINGS: In OSCC, METTL3 plays a pro-cancer role and weakens the anti-tumor efficacy of CDDP; METTL3 positively regulates the expression of TMEM30A by m6A methylation modification and binding to TMEM30A; The abnormally high expression of TMEM30A in OSCC not only weakens CDDP sensitivity, but also enhances the malignant evolution of cancer cells, regulates the metabolic balance of ATP and lactate in cells, and is a potential oncogenic gene. SIGNIFICANCE: TMEM30A promotes malignant progression of tumors through METTL3 mediated m6A methylation modification, participates in maintaining the balance of tumor ATP and lactate metabolism, and reduces the anti-tumor activity of CDDP. TMEM30A is a potential gene target for CDDP anti-tumor activity in OSCC.

Comprehensive analysis of risk factors for flap necrosis in free flap reconstruction of postoperative tissue defects in oral and maxillofacial tumors.

Free flap reconstruction for postoperative tissue defects in oral and maxillofacial tumors is a critical component of reconstructive surgery. Identifying risk factors for flap necrosis is essential for improving surgical outcomes and patient quality of life. A retrospective study was conducted on patients who underwent free flap reconstruction between January 2020 and December 2023. Patients were included if they had comprehensive medical records and at least a six-month follow-up. We excluded those with a history of flap necrosis, uncontrolled systemic diseases, non-adherence to postoperative care, or concurrent malignancy treatments. Data on demographics, comorbidities, flap characteristics, and operative details were collected and analyzed using univariate analysis and logistic regression tests. Univariate analysis did not find a significant correlation between flap necrosis and factors such as hyperlipidemia, lymph node metastasis, or flap type. However, diabetes mellitus, oral infections, and albumin levels below 35 g/L were significantly associated with flap necrosis. Multivariate logistic regression showed diabetes mellitus increased the odds of flap necrosis by approximately ninefold, and oral infection increased it by over tenfold. Diabetes mellitus, oral infection, and low albumin levels are significant risk factors for flap necrosis in free flap reconstruction after oral and maxillofacial surgery. Prompt identification and management of these factors are crucial to mitigate the risk of flap necrosis.

Long non-coding RNA PSMG3 Antisense RNA 1 is correlated with oral squamous cell carcinoma and regulates cancer cell proliferation by targeting premature microRNA-141.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is common worldwide. In this study, the interaction of microRNA-141 (miR-141) with long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) PSMG3 Antisense RNA 1 (PSMG3-AS1) in OSCC was explored. RT-qPCR was used to analyze the expression of PSMG3-AS1 and miR-141 (both mature and premature) in OSCC. Nuclear fractionation assay was applied to detect PSMG3-AS1 in subcellular locations. RNA pull-down assay was performed to evaluate the binding of miR-141 to PSMG3-AS1. Overexpression assay followed by RT-qPCR was performed to explore the role of PSMG3-AS1 in maturation of miR-141. The function of PSMG3-AS1 and miR-141 in regulating OSCC cell proliferation was assessed by BrdU assay. The results showed that PSMG3-AS1 was highly upregulated in OSCC and miR-141 was downregulated in OSCC. However, no alteration in the expression of premature miR-141 was observed in OSCC. Premature miR-141 was found to directly bind to PSMG3-AS1. Overexpression of PSMG3-AS1 suppressed the maturation of miR-141. PSMG3-AS1 increased OSCC cell proliferation and tumor growth and suppressed the inhibitory role of miR-141 in cell proliferation and tumor growth. Therefore, PSMG3-AS1 may inhibit the maturation of miR-141 to promote OSCC cell proliferation.

Integrating Co(OH)2 nanosheet arrays on graphene for efficient noble-metal-free EY-sensitized photocatalytic H2 evolution.

The development of an efficient noble-metal-free cocatalyst is the key to photocatalytic hydrogen production technology. In this study, hierarchical Co(OH)2 nanosheet array-graphene (GR) composite cocatalysts are developed. With Eosin Y (EY) as a photosensitizer, the optimal Co(OH)2-10%GR hybrid cocatalyst presents excellent photocatalytic activity with an H2 production rate of 17 539 µmol g-1 h-1, and the apparent quantum yield for hydrogen production can reach 12.8% at 520 nm, which remarkably surpasses that of pure Co(OH)2 and most similar hybrid cocatalyst systems. Experimental investigations demonstrate that the excellent photocatalytic activity of Co(OH)2-GR arises from its unique nanosheet array architecture, which can collaboratively expose rich active sites for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution and facilitate the migration and separation of photogenerated charge carriers. It is desired that this study would supply a meaningful direction for the rational optimization of the constitute and structure of cocatalysts to achieve efficient photocatalytic hydrogen generation.

SP1-Mediated Upregulation of circFAM126A Promotes Proliferation and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma via Regulation of RAB41.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence indicates that circular RNAs have major roles in the progression of human cancers. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanism and effects of circFAM126A in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain unclear. METHODS: Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to detect expression levels of circFAM126A in OSCC tumor tissues and cell lines; the effects of circFAM126A small hairpin RNA (shRNA) on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OSCC cells were detected by MTT, colony formation, and transwell assays; xenograft mouse models were used to determine the effects of circFAM126A shRNA on the growth of OSCC tumors in vivo; the expression of miR-186 and RAB41 in OSCC tissues and cells was examined by qRT-PCR; the targeting relationship between circFAM126A and miR-186 was verified by dual-luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down assays; and the relationship between miR-186 and RAB41 was explored. RESULTS: The expression of circFAM126A was significantly upregulated in OSCC tissues and cells. The transcription factor SP1 transcriptionally activated circFAM126A. However, knockdown of circFAM126A markedly suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OSCC cells in vitro and inhibited tumor growth and distant metastasis in vivo. Moreover, circFAM126A increased the expression of RAB41 and promoted its mRNA stability via binding to miR-186 and RNA-binding protein FUS. Overexpression of RAB41 antagonized the effects of circFAM126A knockdown and induced an aggressive phenotype of OSCC cells. CONCLUSION: SP1 transcriptionally activated circFAM126A modulated the growth, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of OSCC cells via targeting the miR-186/FUS/RAB41 axis, suggesting that circFAM126A is a potential biomarker for the treatment of OSCC.

CircRNA_0109291 regulates cell growth and migration in oral squamous cell carcinoma and its clinical significance.

OBJECTIVES: Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a new class of non-coding RNAs, have emerged as important regulators during tumorigenesis. However, the functions of circRNAs have not been completely clarified in the progression of cancers. In our study, a novel circRNA hsa_circ_0109291 was investigated in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) tissues and cell lines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expression profile of circRNAs in OSCC tumor tissues was performed by high-throughput sequencing. The CCK-8 wound healing and apoptosis assay were measured in OSCC cell lines after transfection with si-0109291 or si-NC. RESULTS: We discovered that hsa_circ_0109291 was significantly increased in OSCC tissues and cell lines compared with their corresponding control group. Knockdown of hsa_circ_0109291 inhibited proliferation and migration of OSCC cell lines in vitro. In addition, inhibition of hsa_circ_0109291 dramatically induced apoptosis of OSCC cells. We further found that high hsa_circ_0109291 levels in OSCC patients resulted in a poorer prognosis than in patients with low hsa_circ_0109291 levels. CONCLUSION: These findings indicated that hsa_circ_0109291 correlated with the progression of OSCC and might be a new therapeutic target for the treatment of OSCC.

[Expression of long non-coding RNA colon cancer associated transcript 2 and its clinicopathologic significance in oral squamous cell carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of long non-coding RNA(lncRNA) colon cancer associated transcript 2(CCAT2) and its association with clinicopathologic features in oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC). METHODS: The expression of lncRNA was detected with microarray assay in three samples of OSCC tumor and matched adjacent tissues. The profiles of lncRNAs in OSCC tissues were identified. The CCAT2 expression was evaluated by real-time quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR) in 86 OSCC tumor samples and matched adjacent tissues. The relationship between the expression of CCAT2 and its clinicopathologic features of OSCC was analyzed. Tumor cell proliferation was assessed following siRNA knockdown of CCAT2 by using the CCK-8 kits. RESULTS: A total of 1 685 lncRNA expressed in OSCC tumor samples and matched adjacent tissues were identified using microarray assay(P<0.05). RT-qPCR showed that the expression of CCAT2 was significantly higher in OSCC than that in adjacent tissues(P< 0.01). High CCAT2 expression was associated with cell differentiation and pathological stage of OSCC. CCAT2 expression in low-differentiated OSCC was significantly higher than that in high-differentiated cancer (P=0.015). In addition, CCAT2 level in stage Ⅲ/Ⅳ OSCC was significantly higher than that in stage Ⅰ/Ⅱ cancer (P=0.022). Furthermore, inhibition of CCAT2 expression suppressed the proliferation of human tongue carcinoma Tca8113 cells. CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal expression of lncRNA may be involved in the development of OSCC. Up-regulation of CCAT2 expression in tumor tissue might act as an oncogene and promote the development of OSCC.

[Levels of programmed death-1 and programmed death ligand-1 in the peripheral blood of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma and its clinical implications].

OBJECTIVE: To detect the expression levels of programmed death-1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) in the peripheral blood of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to discuss their biological and clinical significance. METHODS: PD-1/PD-L1 expression on the surface of T-lymphocytes and the counts of T-lymphocyte subpopulations of peripheral blood in 82 patients with OSCC (OSCC group) and 25 healthy controls (control group) were examined via flow cytometry. The expression levels of soluble PD-1 (sPD-1) and soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) in the serum were observed through enzyme-link immunology method. The data were tested and analyzed with SPSS 17.0 software. RESULTS: The percentage of CD8+ T cells in the OSCC group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05), whereas the percentages of CD3+ and CD4+ T cells as well as CD4+/CD8+ ratio were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). The positive rates of PD-1 and PD-L1 in CD3+ and CD4+ T cells in OSCC peripheral blood were remarkably higher than those in the control group (P<0.01). Difference was not observed between the expression levels of sPD-1 in the serum of OSCC group and those in the control group (P>0.05), but the average of sPD-L1 was remarkably higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). sPD-L1 expression was related to clinical stage, tumor cell differentiation, and lymph node status (P<0.05) but not related to sex, age, tumor location, and tumor size. CONCLUSION: T-lymphocyte subpopulations in the peripheral blood of patients with OSCC developed immunosuppression with different degrees. PD-1 and PD-L1 expression levels on the surface of CD3+ and CD4+ T cells significantly increased. Abnormal increase in sPD-L1 expression may be associated with OSCC development.

[Clinical study of the two-stage hollow prosthesis on restoring unilateral maxillary defect with restricting mouth opening: a case report].

A case of a patient with a unilateral maxillary defect and restricted mouth opening was presented. The two-stage hollow maxillofacial prosthesis can be used to restore the above defect, thus promoting mastication, speaking, swallowing, and sucking, as well as improving the patient's appearance. Satisfactory results were achieved.

[Finite element stress analysis of all-ceramic continuous crowns of the lower anterior teeth in differential shoulder thickness].

PURPOSE: To investigate the stress distributions under load in 3 types of all-ceramic continuous crowns of the lower anterior teeth with differential shoulder thickness. METHODS: Cone-beam CT (CBCT) was used to scan the in vitro mandibular central incisors, and achieve three-dimensional finite element model of all-ceramic continuous crowns with different shoulder width by using Mimics, Abaqus software. Different load conditions were simulated based on this model to study the effect of shoulder width variation on finite element analysis of 3 kinds of different all-ceramic materials of incisors fixed continuous crowns of the mandibular. RESULTS: Using CBCT, Mimics10.01 software and Abaqus 6.11 software, three-dimensional finite element model of all-ceramic continuous crowns of the mandibular incisor, abutment, periodontal ligament and alveolar bone was established. Different ceramic materials and various shoulder width had minor no impact on the equivalent stress peak of periodontal membrane, as well as alveolar bone. With the same shoulder width and large area of vertical loading of 120 N, the tensile stress was the largest in In-Ceram Alumina, followed by In-Ceram Zirconia and the minimum was IPS.Empress II. Under large area loading of 120 N 45° labially, when the material was IPS.Empress II, with the shoulder width increased, the porcelain plate edge of the maximum tensile stress value increased, while the other 2 materials had no obvious change. CONCLUSIONS: Finite element model has good geometric similarity. In the setting range of this study, when the elastic modulus of ceramic materials is bigger, the tensile stress of the continuous crown is larger. Supported by Research Project of Department of Education, Jiangxi Province (GJJ09130).

[Expression of microRNA-31 and its clinicopathologic significance in oral squamous cell carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of microRNA-31 and its association with clinicopathologic features in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). METHODS: The expression level of microRNA-31 in 62 cases of OSCC and matched non-tumor adjacent tissue specimens was examined using stem-loop real-time PCR. The relationship between the expression of microRNA-31 and its clinicopathologic features of OSCC was analyzed. RESULTS: The expression of microRNA-31 was significantly higher in the tumor tissues than that in the adjacent tissues (P < 0.05).Up-regulated microRNA-31 expression was associated with the lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05) and cell differentiation (P < 0.05) in OSCC patients.No significant association was found between the expression of microRNA-31 and gender, age, lymph node metastasis, tumor size and location.Receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC) of microRNA-31 about cell differentiation resulted in a diagnostic sensitivity of 70.4% and specificity of 89.5%. CONCLUSIONS: The up-regulated level of microRNA-31 expression may be related to the pathogenesis of OSCC.