DCBLD1 Overexpression Is Associated With a Poor Prognosis in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Background: DCBLD1 is highly expressed in several kinds of cancer and plays a potential prognostic factor. However, the prognostic value and immune infiltration in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma remain unclear and need further research. Materials and Methods: DCBLD1 expression and clinical information were obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The mRNA level in cell lines (SCC25 and CAL27) and gingival fibroblasts were detected using quantitative PCR. Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate the prognostic values of DCBLD1 and clinical data in HNSCC. A nomogram was also established to predict the impact of DCBLD1 on prognosis based on Cox multivariate results. The methylation level of DCBLD1 in HNSC and its prognosis were analyzed in UALACN and MethSurv. Finally, the potential biological functions of DCBLD1 were investigated using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and single-sample GSEA (ssGSEA). Results: The mRNA and protein expression levels of DCBLD1 were highly expressed in HNSCC tissue and cell lines. The Cox analyses demonstrate that highly expressed DCBLD1 is an independent prognosis marker (p < 0.05). ROC curve analysis showed the performance of DCBLD1 (area under the ROC curve: 0.948, sensitivity: 93.2%, specificity: 84.7%). The methylation was increased in HNSCC patients compared with normal subjects (p < 0.05) and was associated with poor prognosis at sites cg27642470 and cg21104965. Additionally, DCBLD1 expression is poorly associated with immune cell infiltration and immunological checkpoints PD-L1 and TIM-3. Conclusion: In head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, DCBLD1 is overexpressed, associated with poor patient prognosis. The detailed underlying mechanism merits further research.

[Study on the correlation between the mandibular masticatory muscle movement and sleep tooth wear].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between the clinical diagnostic criteria of sleep bruxism and the frequency of mandibular movements during sleep. METHODS: Video polysomnography was used to record 20 healthy adults with at least one of the following clinical symptoms and signs: 1) report of frequent tooth grinding; 2) tooth wear and dentin exposure with at least three occlusal surfaces; 3) masticatory muscle symptoms in the morning; 4) masseter muscle hypertrophy. The rhythmic masticatory muscle activity (RMMA) and isolated tonic activity were scored to compare the correlations with clinical symptoms and signs. Finally, the incidence of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) was investigated in patients with isolated tonic and RMMA subjects. RESULTS: Among the 20 subjects, RMMA events were observed (5.8±3.1) times·h⁻¹ and isolated tonic episodes were observed (2.1±0.9) times·h⁻¹. The frequency of RMMA events was significantly greater in the patients with acoustic molars than in those without (P<0.05). Similarly, the frequency of RMMA events was significantly greater in the patients with tooth attrition than in those without (P<0.05). However, no difference was observed between the occurrence of RMMA and the symptoms of masticatory muscles or masseter hypertrophy in the morning. The incidence of TMD was significantly higher in the patients with RMMA than in the isolated tonic patients. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical symptoms and signs often used to diagnose sleep bruxism are different clinical and physiological mandibular movements during sleep. RMMA during sleep can reflect the occurrence of tooth attrition and the high risk of TMD.

Preparation of P3HB4HB/(Gelatin + PVA) Composite Scaffolds by Coaxial Electrospinning and Its Biocompatibility Evaluation.

This study was conducted to prepare coaxial electrospun scaffolds of P3HB4HB/(gelatin + PVA) with various concentration ratios with P3HB4HB as the core solution and gelatin + PVA mixture as the shell solution; the mass ratios of gelatin and PVA in each 10 mL shell mixture were 0.6 g : 0.2 g (Group A), 0.4 g : 0.4 g (Group B), and 0.2 g : 0.6 g (Group C). The results showed that the pore size, porosity, and cell proliferation rate of Group C were better than those of Groups A and B. The ascending order of the tensile strength and modulus of elasticity was Group A < Group B < Group C. The surface roughness was Group C > Group B > Group A. The osteogenic and chondrogenic-specific staining showed that Group C was stronger than Groups A and B. This study demonstrates that when the mass ratio of gelatin : PVA was 0.2 g : 0.6 g, a P3HB4HB/(gelatin + PVA) composite scaffold with a core-shell structure can be prepared, and the scaffold has good biocompatibility that it may be an ideal scaffold for tissue engineering.

PHB/PHBHHx scaffolds and human adipose-derived stem cells for cartilage tissue engineering.

The goal of this study was to investigate the potential of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)/poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHHx) (PHB/PHBHHx) to produce neocartilage upon seeding with differentiated human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs). hASCs were grown on a three-dimensional PHB/PHBHHx scaffold in vitro with or without chondrogenic media for 14 days. Scanning electron microscopy showed that differentiated cells produced abundant extracellular matrices with increasing culture time. No cytotoxicity was observed by the live/dead cell viability assay. GAG and total collagen content in the differentiated cells increased significantly with in vitro culture time. After 14 days of in vitro culture, the differentiated cells grown on the (PHB/PHBHHx) scaffold (differentiated cells/(PHB/PHBHHx)) were implanted into the subcutaneous layer nude mice for 12 or 24 weeks, non-differentiated cells/(PHB/PHBHHx) were implanted as the control group. The differentiated cells/(PHB/PHBHHx) implants formed cartilage-like tissue after 24 weeks of implantation, and stained positive for collagen type II, safranin O, and toluidine blue. In addition, typical cartilage lacuna was observed, and there were no remnants of PHB/PHBHHx. Collagen type II was detected by Western blot at 12 and 24 weeks of implantation. In the control group, no cartilage formation was observed. This study demonstrated that PHB/PHBHHx is a suitable material for cartilage tissue engineering.