Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy versus laser lithotripsy in the treatment of post-SWL steinstrasse: a randomized comparative study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of Holmium laser lithotripsy with that of extracorporeal shock lithotripsy (SWL) for post-SWL ureteral steinstrasse. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2022 to July 2023, 36 patients with post-SWL ureteral steinstrasse were randomly divided into laser lithotripsy and SWL groups. Patients with pain, moderate to marked hydronephrosis, large leading stone fragments, and showing no spontaneous resolution within 3-4 weeks after medical expulsive therapy were included. Patients with sepsis were excluded. The success rate was the primary outcome. We compared the perioperative data between the groups. RESULTS: The success rate was higher in the ureteroscopy group than in the SWL group (p = 0.034). SWL was a significantly longer operation, and the fluoroscopy time was significantly longer in the SWL group than in the URS group (p = 0.027). Auxiliary procedures were more frequently performed in the SWL group than in the URS group (p = 0.02). JJ stents were inserted in 100% of patients in the URS group. Three patients (16.7%) underwent conversion to laser ureteroscopy after the second SWL session failed. No significant difference in the incidence of postoperative complications was observed between the groups, but the incidence of postoperative LUT was high in the ureteroscopy group. The mean hospital stay was 30 h in the ureteroscopy group. SWL was performed without the need for hospital admission. CONCLUSION: Ureteroscopic laser lithotripsy for steinstrasse was safe and effective, with a higher success rate, shorter fluoroscopy time, and shorter recovery period than SWL.

Impact of previously failed extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy on ureterorenoscopy outcomes in upper urinary tract stones: a prospective comparative study.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to prospectively evaluate the impact of previously failed SWL on subsequent URS outcomes in the treatment of upper urinary tract stones. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between May 2021 and May 2023, one hundred thirty-six patients with proximal ureteral stones < 1.5 cm and renal stones < 2.5 cm who were candidates for URS were prospectively assigned to a non-SWL group, which included patients without a history of failed SWL before URS, and a post-SWL group, which included patients with a history of failed SWL before URS. The success rate was the primary outcome. The perioperative data of the two groups were compared. RESULTS: The stone-free rate was 83.3% in the post-SWL group versus 81.3% in the non-SWL group, and 8.3% in the post-SWL group versus 9.4% in the non-SWL group had clinically insignificant residual fragments. There was no significant difference in the stone-free rate or success rate between the groups. No significant differences in intraoperative fluoroscopy time, operative time, intraoperative stone appearance, perioperative complications, or the presence of embedded fragments in the ureteral mucosa were detected between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Compared with patients who underwent primary URS, patients who underwent salvage URS for upper urinary tract stones had similar stone-free rates, success rates, operative times, fluoroscopy times, and complication rates without any significant differences.

Chronic Rhinosinusitis Risk after Maxillectomy with Microvascular Reconstruction.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) can be associated with tumors involving the maxillary sinus, but outcomes after undergoing maxillectomy with free flap reconstruction remain unclear. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of medical records was performed to evaluate evidence of CRS in patients who underwent maxillectomy with free flap reconstruction at a single tertiary care academic institution from 2013 through 2020. RESULTS: Eighty-four patients were assessed. Nineteen (22.6%) patients were diagnosed with CRS after surgery, 23 (27.4%) patients were treated for sinus symptoms, and 49 (58.3%) had radiographic evidence of sinus inflammation for more than 6 months. Risk factors for requiring sinus treatment included adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy (p = 0.002) and pre-operative use of sinus medication (p < 0.001). Radiographic evidence of sinusitis 6 months after surgery is also closely associated with sinusitis treatment (p = 0.051). CONCLUSIONS: CRS may be underdiagnosed in patients undergoing maxillectomy with microvascular reconstruction. Further evaluation into patient sinus disease and symptoms following neoplastic surgery may lead to a higher quality of life in some long-term survivors.

Interactive effects of dietary protein and nano-chitosan on growth performance, immune response, and histological aspects of lymphoid organs in broiler chickens.

A feeding trial was conducted to assess the effect of partial replacement of dietary soybean meal by three plant protein sources: coconut, rocket seed, and black cumin meals with their combination in the presence or absence of nano-chitosan (NCH) on growth performance and immune response in broiler chickens. Five starter and grower diets were formulated and used from 1 to 42 days of age. The NCH was added to starter and grower diets at 1.0 g/kg. Five-hundred-fifty-day-old Arbor Acres Plus broiler chicks were randomly divided into ten treatments with five equal replications. Final body weight (FBW), body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and blood plasma parameters were investigated. Histological aspects of lymphoid organs (thymus: T, bursa of Fabricius: B, and spleen: S) were characterized. Apart from added NCH, the FBW, BWG, and FCR of broilers fed the diets containing the tested plant proteins were significantly superior to the control ones. However, FI of birds fed the diets containing CM alone or combined with RSM plus BCM was significantly reduced. All experimental broilers displayed high plasma levels of IgG compared with the control group. There were significant increases in plasma concentrations of IgM, IgA, and T4 for groups that fed the diets containing RSM, BCM, and mixture of CM, RSM, and BCM compared with their controls. The T3 levels of broilers fed the tested plant proteins were significantly increased compared with the controls. Aside from plant protein source, broilers fed the NCH-enriched diets achieved significant increases in levels of IgM, TAC, and FSH and activities of CAT and SOD but reduced the MDA level compared with control. The interactions between plant protein source and added nano-chitosan were not interrelated. Furthermore, CM, RSM, and BCM can be used as complementary dietary proteins singly or combined with NCH with no adverse effects on growth performance. Addition of NCH molecules has a positive effect on live body weight and increases feed intake compared with control chicks.

Nodal Metastasis in Surgically Treated Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Management of the neck in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) is essential to oncologic control and survival. The rates of lymph node metastasis (LNM) vary based on oral cavity tumor site and stage and influence treatment decisions. The aim of this paper was to describe clinical LNM for different tumor subsites and stages of surgically managed OCSCC. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 25,846 surgically managed OCSCC patients from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) stratified by tumor subsite and clinical T-stage. For cN + patients, rates of pathologic LNM and absence of pathologic LNM were determined. For cN0 patients, outcomes included the rates of elective neck dissection (END) and occult LNM and predictors of occult LNM determined by a multivariable logistic regression model. RESULTS: A total of 25,846 patients (59.1% male, mean age 61.9 years) met inclusion criteria with primary tumor sites including oral tongue (50.8%), floor of mouth (21.2%), lower alveolus (7.6%), buccal mucosa (6.7%), retromolar area (4.9%), upper alveolus (3.6%), hard palate (2.7%), and mucosal lip (2.5%). Among all sites, clinical N+ rates increased with T-stage (8.9% T1, 28.0% T2, 51.6% T3, 52.5% T4); these trends were preserved across subsites. Among patients with cN + disease, the overall rate of concordant positive pathologic LNM was 80.1% and the rate of discordant negative pathologic LNM was 19.6%, which varied based on tumor site and stage. In the overall cohort of cN0 patients, 59.9% received END, and the percentage of patients receiving END increased with higher tumor stage. Occult LNM among those cN0 was found in 25.1% of END cases, with the highest rates in retromolar (28.8%) and oral tongue (27.5%) tumors. Multivariable regression demonstrated significantly increased rates of occult LNM for higher T stage (T2 OR: 2.1 [1.9-2.4]; T3 OR: 3.0 [2.5-3.7]; T4 OR: 2.7 [2.2-3.2]), positive margins (OR: 1.4 [1.2-1.7]), and positive lymphovascular invasion (OR: 5.1 [4.4-5.8]). CONCLUSIONS: Management of the neck in OCSCC should be tailored based on primary tumor factors and considered for early-stage tumors.

Are Bacteria Just Bystanders in the Pathogenesis of Inflammatory Jaw Conditions?

PURPOSE: It is unclear whether certain bacteria initiate the development of inflammatory jaw conditions, or whether these diseases create a milieu for dysbiosis and secondary colonization of indigenous flora. At present, there are no comparative studies on the types of bacteria that colonize different inflammatory jaw conditions. Accordingly, this study aims to identify and compare the types of bacteria isolated in osteomyelitis, osteoradionecrosis, and MRONJ. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of patients diagnosed with inflammatory jaw conditions. The predictor variables were classification of bacteria as oral flora, categorized herein as resident bacteria, non-resident bacteria, or opportunistic organisms. The outcome variables were a diagnosis of osteomyelitis, osteoradionecrosis, and MRONJ. Covariates were age, sex, penicillin allergy, a diagnosis of diabetes and a history of smoking. Data analysis was performed using ANOVA and chi-squared tests. RESULTS: A total of 105 patients with inflammatory jaw conditions were enrolled. The final sample size was 69 subjects of which 16 were diagnosed with osteomyelitis, 20 with osteoradionecrosis, and 33 with MRONJ. There was no difference in the frequency that resident bacteria were isolated. Non-resident bacteria, which included Staphylococcus and Enterococcus among others, were isolated more frequently at 75% in osteomyelitis compared to 60% in osteoradionecrosis and 48% in MRONJ cases. There is weak evidence of significant difference when comparing osteomyelitis and MRONJ cases (P = .08). Opportunistic organisms, which included Mycobacterium and Candida, were isolated more frequently in osteoradionecrosis at 30% compared to 12.5% in osteomyelitis and 12.12% in MRONJ cases. There is weak evidence of significant difference when comparing osteoradionecrosis and MRONJ cases (P = .1). CONCLUSION: Non-resident bacteria including Staphylococcus and Enterococcus may be more frequently isolated in patients with osteomyelitis, while opportunistic organisms like Mycobacterium and Candida may be more frequently found in patients diagnosed with osteoradionecrosis.

Anterolateral thigh osteomyocutaneous flap in head and neck: Lessons learned.

BACKGROUND: Concerns regarding iatrogenic femur fracture may deter adoption of the anterolateral thigh osteomyocutaneous (ALTO) flap as an alternative reconstructive technique for large composite defects of the head and neck. We describe the evolution of our experience with this flap and the lessons learned in femur management. METHODS: Records from a prospective database (July 2009-January 2020) were reviewed to identify patients with composite osseous free tissue reconstructions. Venous thromboembolic events (VTE), femur fracture, estimated blood loss (EBL), procedure time, blood transfusions, and length of stay (days) were compared for ALTO flaps prior to and after the adoption of intramedullary fixation protocol. RESULTS: ALTO represented 10.5% (n = 23) of total osseus (n = 219) flaps. For large composite reconstructions with either ALTO flap, double flap (n = 2), or subscapular mega flaps (n = 14), ALTO flaps were most frequently used (59%, n = 23/59). There were no differences in operative time prior to and after implementation of prophylactic fixation [median (range): 5.4 (1.7-19.2) vs. 5.8 (1.7-15.0), p = .574]. Additionally, there were no differences in VTE, femur fracture, EBL, blood transfusion, or length of stay (p > .05) with adoption of prophylactic intramedullary fixation. CONCLUSIONS: The ALTO flap represents a useful tool to consider in the armamentarium of reconstructive options for large through and through defects of the head and neck. In our experience, the ALTO flap is a reasonable alternative to subscapular or double flap reconstructions and especially in the setting of unusable fibular flaps or when bone need exceeds that available from the scapula.

Value of early second session shock wave lithotripsy in treatment of upper ureteric stones compared to laser ureteroscopy.

PURPOSE: The safety and efficacy of early second session shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) compared with laser ureteroscopy (URS) for the treatment of upper ureteric stones were evaluated. METHODS: From January to October 2019, 108 patients with upper ureteric stones (< 1.5 cm and ≤ 1000 Hounsfield unit (HU)) were randomized into SWL and laser URS groups. The second SWL session was performed within 48-72 h of the first session. Using plain abdominal X-ray and ultrasonography, patients were evaluated 48-72 h after the first SWL session and one week after the second and third SWL sessions or one week after URS. The procedure was considered a success when no additional procedures were needed to clear the stone. To determine the stone-free rate (SFR), noncontrast computed tomography of the urinary tract was performed three months postoperatively. RESULTS: In the SWL group, the success rates were 92.6% and 94.4% after the second and third sessions. The SFR was 96.2% in the laser URS group. The success rates were not significantly different between the second and third SWL sessions versus the laser URS (p = 0.418 and 0.660, respectively). Operative and fluoroscopy times were significantly longer in the SWL group (p = 0.001), and JJ stent insertions were needed after laser URS. CONCLUSION: Ultraslow full-power SWL treatment of patients with upper ureteric stones (< 1.5 cm and ≤ 1000 HU) with an early second session is safe and effective compared to laser URS. Patients who do not respond to early second SWL session should be shifted to another treatment modality.

Comprehensive Oromandibular Reconstruction Utilizing an Anterolateral Thigh Free Tissue Transfer Flap and Tissue Engineering: Technical and Timing Considerations.

The present report describes the technical nuances involved in oromandibular reconstruction utilizing a soft tissue free flap and tissue engineering in a step wise fashion for complete oral rehabilitation.

Role of elective neck dissection and adjuvant radiation therapy in patients with polymorphous adenocarcinoma.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of elective neck dissection (END) and of adjuvant radiation (aRT) in polymorphous adenocarcinoma (PAC), previously known as polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma (PLGA). METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of patients in the National Cancer Database with a histology of PAC (coded as PLGA) at a head and neck site diagnosed between 2004 and 2015. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard modeling was used to assess overall survival in the overall population, and in sub-analyses of clinically N0 disease, positive resection margins, and late stage disease. RESULTS: A total of 922 patients [66.8% female; mean (SD) age, 60.9 (13.9) years] met inclusion criteria. 74.7% of patients received surgery alone, and 18.0% received surgery and aRT. Only 7.6% of patients with clinically N0 disease received an END, with 10.6% of these having at least one positive node. END did not have a survival benefit compared to no END [HR 1.28 (0.61-2.68)]. Compared to surgery alone, aRT did not have significantly increased survival in the overall population or in late stage [HR 0.68 (0.39-1.19) and HR 0.46 (0.18-1.22), respectively]. On sub-analysis of patients with positive resection margins, aRT had a significant survival benefit compared to surgery alone [HR 0.37 (0.14-0.99)]. CONCLUSION: PAC is a rare, slow-growing malignant tumor typically treated with surgical excision, with undefined indications for END or aRT. Our findings show END to not have a benefit to overall survival. In patients with positive resection margins, there was a survival benefit for aRT.

SMARCB1 (Integrase Interactor 1)-Deficient Sinonasal Carcinoma of the Maxillary Sinus: A Newly Described Sinonasal Neoplasm.

SMARCB1 (integrase interactor 1) is a tumor suppressor gene encoded on chromosome 22q11.2 that encodes a core subunit of SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes and plays a critical role in regulating gene expression and chromatin structure. We describe a case of SMARCB1 (integrase interactor 1)-deficient sinonasal carcinoma of the left maxillary sinus in a 63-year-old woman with an initial presentation of numbness of the maxillary teeth and facial swelling.

Reconstruction of Through-and-Through Composite Segmental Mandibulectomy Defect in a Patient With a Dominant Peroneal Artery Using an Anterior Lateral Thigh Osteomyocutaneous Free Flap: A Case Report and Description of Flap.

The anterior lateral thigh osteomyocutaneous (ALTO) free flap represents a unique reconstructive option for patients who are otherwise not good candidates for traditional free flaps to repair a through-and-through defect of the head and neck. We report the case of a patient with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity who had undergone composite segmental mandibulectomy with a resultant through-and-through defect. The patient was not a candidate for fibula free flap (FFF) reconstruction owing to the presence of bilaterally dominant peroneal arteries. The patient underwent reconstruction with a single free tissue ALTO flap, with a good viable flap postoperatively. The patient did not experience any major or minor surgical complications and has been living with no evidence of disease. The ALTO free flap could be an effective flap in the reconstruction of through-and-through defects of the mandible for patients who are not candidates for FFF-based reconstruction.

Percutaneous nephrostomy versus JJ ureteric stent as the initial drainage method in kidney stone patients presenting with acute kidney injury: A prospective randomized study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare percutaneous nephrostomy tube versus JJ stent as an initial urinary drainage procedure in kidney stone patients presenting with acute kidney injury. METHODS: Between January 2017 and January 2019, 143 patients with acute kidney injury secondary to obstructive kidney stone were prospectively randomized into the percutaneous nephrostomy tube group (71 patients) and JJ stent group (72 patients) at Beni-Suef University Hospital, Beni-Suef, Egypt. Exclusion criteria included candidates for acute dialysis, fever (>38°C), pyonephrosis, pregnancy and uncontrolled coagulopathy. The period required for serum creatinine normalization, failure of insertion, operative and fluoroscopy time were recorded. Definitive stone management for proximal ureteral stones >1.5 cm consisted of percutaneous nephrolithotomy for the percutaneous nephrostomy group and ureteroscopic laser lithotripsy for the JJ stent group. For stone size <1.5 cm, ureteroscopy or shockwave lithotripsy was carried out for both groups. Percutaneous nephrolithotomy was carried out for renal stones >2 cm, and shockwave lithotripsy for stones <2 cm. Distal and mid ureteral stones were treated by ureteroscopy. RESULTS: The percutaneous nephrostomy group had shorter operative time (P = 0.001). There was no significant difference in the recovery period for normalization of serum creatinine between both groups (P = 0.120). Procedural failure, ureteric mucosal injury and perforations increased in the case of male sex, stone size >1.5 cm and upper ureteric stones in the JJ stent group. Procedural failure, pelvic perforations and intraoperative bleeding increased in case of male sex, mild hydronephrosis and stone size >2.5 cm in the percutaneous nephrostomy group. Suprapubic pain, urethral pain and lower urinary tract symptoms were significant in the JJ stent group. The presence of a JJ stent directed us toward ureteroscopy (P = 0.002) and the presence of a percutaneous nephrostomy directed us toward percutaneous nephrolithotomy (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous nephrostomy facilitates subsequent percutaneous nephrolithotomy, especially when carried out by a urologist, and it has a higher insertion success rate, a shorter operative time and a lesser incidence of postoperative urinary tract infection than a JJ stent. A JJ stent facilitates subsequent ureteroscopy, but operative complications can increase in the case of proximal ureteral stones >1.5 cm.

Outcome of Botulinum Toxin-A intraprostatic injection for benign prostatic hyperplasia induced lower urinary tract symptoms: A prospective multicenter study.

INTRODUCTION: Our aim was to determine the factors predicting the outcome of intraprostatic injection of Botulinum Toxin-A (BTX-A) in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)-induced lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and to evaluate its efficacy and safety. METHODS: Between September 2016 and May 2018, 45 Egyptian patients, with BPH-induced LUTS were included; the indication was a failure of medical treatment, unfit, or refusing surgical intervention. Measurements of prostate size by TRUS, total PSA level before and 12 weeks after injection. IPSS, uroflow, and postvoiding residual urine (PVR) were measured before injection, 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks postinjection. 100 U BTX-A vial was diluted with 10 mL of saline then injected into the transition zone at base and midzone of the prostate by TRUS. RESULTS: The mean patients' age was 64.4 ± 6.6 years. Mean baseline IPSS 24.06 decreased to 18.75 at 2 weeks and progressively decreased to 16.37 at 12 weeks (P < 0.001), Q max of 9.08 mL/s. increased to 10.44 at 2 weeks and 11.44 at 12 weeks (P < 0.001), mean prostate volume was 67.44cc; decreased to 66.06cc (P < 0.001) at 12 weeks and mean residual urine was 82.62 mL and decreased to 57.66 mL at 12 weeks. DISCUSSION: Intraprostatic injection of BTX-A as modality treatment of LUTS/BPH significantly improve IPSS, Q max , PVR, and decrease prostate volume. We can suspect better results with this line of treatment in patients with IPSS ≤ 22 and Q max ≤ 10 mL/min and prostate volume ≤ 56.5cc.

Trainee Contribution Is Not Associated With Citation Frequency: A Retrospective Study.

PURPOSE: Publication citation frequency is a measure of scientific influence. The purpose of this study was to measure the association between trainee involvement in publications and citation frequency. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from January to December 2010 was conducted. For each included publication, the study topic and design were recorded. The primary predictor variable was trainee involvement (yes or no). For the purpose of our study, the term "trainee" encompassed dental students, graduate (non-dental) students, oral and maxillofacial surgery residents, and non-oral and maxillofacial surgery residents, as indicated by author affiliations listed in each article. The outcome variable was the number of citations accumulated between 2010 and 2017. Descriptive statistics were computed. Analyses of variance were performed to compare citation distribution among study types and designs. Student t tests and χ2 tests were performed. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 111 publications, of which 85 (76.6%) had at least 1 trainee author. Among all publications, the mean number of citations was significantly different across study designs (P = .03), with case reports earning the lowest number of citations on average (mean, 14.9 citations). Trainee publications had significantly different distributions of study topics (P = .02) and designs (P < .01). Among publications with a trainee author, the most common topic was pathology (37%) and the most common study design was a case report (45%). Despite the higher proportion of case reports, the mean number of citations between trainee (mean, 30.4 citations) and non-trainee (mean, 30.5 citations) publications was not significantly different (P = .99). CONCLUSIONS: Including trainees does not alter the citation frequency of the articles published in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. This finding is encouraging to both academic surgeons and their trainees, as a higher volume of students and residents can be engaged in research while preserving the influence of the published works.

A 15-Year Review of Trainee Contributions to the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to quantify trainee contributions to the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (JOMS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was retrospective cohort study of research articles published in the JOMS from 2002 to 2016. Predictor variables were the presence and type of trainee author. Outcomes were study topic and design. Comparisons were performed using χ2 tests. To quantify trainee contributions, the 1) number and 2) proportion of articles with a trainee author and 3) the proportion of trainee authors per publication were calculated. The association between time and the number and proportion of trainee articles was determined using simple correlations. The association between time and percentage of trainee authors per publication was determined using analysis of variance. RESULTS: Of the 1,455 articles included in this study, 72.0% had at least 1 trainee author and trainees composed 27.6% of all authorships. The number and proportion of trainee articles slowly increased with time, and there was a strong correlation between percentage of trainee articles and publication year (r = 0.86; P < .01). Compared with articles without a trainee, a larger proportion of trainee articles were on orthognathic procedures (P < .01). Trainee articles also had a larger proportion of case reports and series (P = .03) and retrospective cohort studies (P < .01) and a smaller proportion of prospective cohort studies (P = .02), literature reviews and meta-analysis (P < .01), and randomized controlled trials (P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: Trainee authors contributed to most JOMS articles, and an increasing percentage of articles included trainee authors. Efforts should be made to include trainees in studies with higher levels of evidence.

Anatomical Variations of the Superficial Radial Nerve Encountered during Radial Forearm Free Flap Elevation.

A frequently encountered anatomical structure in the elevation of a radial forearm free flap is the superficial branch of the radial nerve. This structure has a relatively consistent anatomic location, but variations do occur. We present a case where the superficial branch of the radial nerve was in an usual position but remained superficial to the brachioradialis throughout its course. Two previous reports also describe the superficial branch of the radial nerve remaining superficial to the brachioradialis, although, in these reports, the nerve was more medial than is typical. We postulate that one of the most common anatomic variations of the superficial branch of the radial nerve is for it to remain superficial to the brachioradialis. As this variation could potentially be confused with the medial or lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerves, it is important for the reconstructive surgeon to be aware of this to prevent inadvertent injury.

Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Derived Interleukin-6 Promotes Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Acquisition of Epithelial Stem-Like Cell Properties in Ameloblastoma Epithelial Cells.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a biological process associated with cancer stem-like or cancer-initiating cell formation, contributes to the invasiveness, metastasis, drug resistance, and recurrence of the malignant tumors; it remains to be determined whether similar processes contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of ameloblastoma (AM), a benign but locally invasive odontogenic neoplasm. Here, we demonstrated that EMT- and stem cell-related genes were expressed in the epithelial islands of the most common histologic variant subtype, the follicular AM. Our results revealed elevated interleukin (IL)-6 signals that were differentially expressed in the stromal compartment of the follicular AM. To explore the stromal effect on tumor pathogenesis, we isolated and characterized both mesenchymal stromal cells (AM-MSCs) and epithelial cells (AM-EpiCs) from follicular AM and demonstrated that, in in vitro culture, AM-MSCs secreted a significantly higher level of IL-6 as compared to the counterpart AM-EpiCs. Furthermore, both in vitro and in vivo studies revealed that exogenous and AM-MSC-derived IL-6 induced the expression of EMT- and stem cell-related genes in AM-EpiCs, whereas such effects were significantly abrogated either by a specific inhibitor of STAT3 or ERK1/2, or by knockdown of Slug gene expression. These findings suggest that AM-MSC-derived IL-6 promotes tumor-stem like cell formation by inducing EMT process in AM-EpiCs through STAT3 and ERK1/2-mediated signaling pathways, implying a role in the etiology and progression of the benign but locally invasive neoplasm. Stem Cells 2017;35:2083-2094.

Detection and molecular characterization of tomato yellow leaf curl virus naturally infecting Lycopersicon esculentum in Egypt.

Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) infections of tomato crops in Egypt were widely spread in 2014. Infected symptomatic tomato plants from different governorates were sampled. TYLCV strains Israel and Mild (TYLCV-IL, TYLCV-Mild) were identified by multiplex and real-time PCR. In addition, nucleotide sequence analysis of the V1 and V2 protein genes, revealed ten TYLCV Egyptian isolates (TYLCV from TY1 to 10). Phylogenetic analysis showed their high degree of relatedness with TYLCV-IL Jordan isolate (98%). Here we have showed the complete nucleotide sequence of the TYLCV Egyptian isolate TY10, sampled from El Beheira. A high degree of similarity to other previously reported Egyptian isolates and isolates from Jordan and Japan reflect the importance of phylogenetic analysis in monitoring virus genetic diversity and possibilities for divergence of more virulent strains or genotypes.