Expression of ß1- and ß2-adrenergic receptors in oral squamous cell carcinoma and their association with psychological and clinical factors.

BACKGROUND: Psychological stressors have been related to tumor progression through the activation of beta-adrenergic receptors (ß-AR) in several types of cancer. PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the expressions of ß1- and ß2-AR and their association with psychological and clinicopathological variables in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. METHODS: Tumor samples from 99 patients diagnosed with OSCC were subjected to immunohistochemical reaction to detect the expression of ß1-AR and ß2-AR. Anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), respectively. The Brunel Mood Scale was used for measuring affective mood states. RESULTS: Univariate analyzes revealed that higher expression of ß1-AR was associated with increased alcohol consumption (p = 0.032), higher education (p = 0.042), worse sleep quality (p = 0.044) and increased levels of pain related to the primary tumor (p < 0.001). Higher expression of ß2-AR was related with regional metastasis (p = 0.014), increased levels of pain related to the primary tumor (p = 0.044), anxiety (p < 0.001) and depressive (p = 0.010) symptoms and higher mood scores of angry (p = 0.010) and fatigue (p = 0.010). Multivariate analysis identified that patients with advanced clinical stage had lower ß1-AR expression (OR=0.145, 95% CI=0.025-0.828, p = 0.003). Higher anxiety symptoms and higher mood fatigue are independent factors for increased ß2-AR expression (OR=4256, 95% CI=1439-12606, p = 0.009; OR=3816, 95% CI=1258-11,573, p = 0.018, respectively). CONCLUSION: This study reveal that anxiety, fatigue symptoms, and clinical staging are associated with tumor expression of beta-adrenergic receptors in patients with oral cancer.

Tongue cancer in non-smoking and non-alcoholic mother and daughter.

Tongue cancer is more prevalent in male smokers and alcoholics. Although an increased incidence of tongue cancer has been noted in non-smoking and non-alcoholic women, reports of its occurrence in mother and daughter are extremely rare. Here, we report a case of a non-smoking and non-alcoholic mother and her daughter diagnosed and treated surgically for tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The daughter is still being monitored and the mother died from complications from COVID-19 after 6 years of treatment. This report shows that OSCC should be considered in the differential diagnosis of oral ulcerated lesions in non-smoking and non-alcoholic women, especially if there is a family history of first-degree oral cancer.

Primary manifestation of HIV-related Burkitt lymphoma in the oral and maxillofacial regions.

BACKGROUND: Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is a subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It is strongly associated with HIV infection and has a highly aggressive clinical course. The involvement of the maxillofacial region in BL has rarely been reported. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 36-year-old woman with HIV-positive status had painless bilateral swelling of the oral mucosa and middle and lower thirds of the face. Microscopic analysis of the oral lesion revealed an atypical lymphoid infiltrate with a starry sky pattern. The lymphoid cells expressed cluster of differentiation 20, cluster of differentiation 10, B-cell lymphoma 6, and c-Myc; the Ki-67 proliferative index was high. The tumor cells were positive for Epstein-Barr virus. These results led to the diagnosis of HIV-related BL. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: BL and other immunodeficiency-related lymphoproliferative malignancies may affect the oral and maxillofacial regions and should be included in the differential diagnosis of rapidly expanding swelling in young patients.

Mantle cell lymphoma involving the oral and maxillofacial region: a study of 20 cases.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinicopathologic features of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) involving the oral and maxillofacial region. METHODS: The MCL cases were retrieved from the pathosis database of 6 pathology laboratories. Original hematoxylin and eosin slides and immunohistochemical reactions were reviewed for confirmation of the initial diagnosis. Clinical data of the cases were obtained from the patients' pathosis and/or medical charts. RESULTS: Twenty cases were included in the study, showing a male predominance and a mean age of 66 years. The oral cavity (12 cases) and the oropharynx (5 cases) were the most commonly involved subsites. Most cases presented as asymptomatic swellings, with 2 cases showing bilateral involvement of the palate. The classic histologic variant predominated (12/20 cases). All cases expressed CD20 with nuclear cyclin D1 positivity. SOX11 was seen in 9/13 cases, CD5 in 6/16 cases, Bcl2 in 16/19 cases, CD10 in 2/20 cases, and Bcl6 in 4/16 cases. Ki67 showed a mean proliferation index of 40.6%. The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was negative in all cases investigated. Follow-up data was available for 7 patients, with 5 currently alive and 2 deceased. CONCLUSION: Mantle cell lymphoma, albeit rare, may manifest in the oral and maxillofacial region. Its histologic heterogeneity demands a high degree of diagnostic skill from pathologists.

Ambientes da prática profissional de enfermagem nos serviços prisionais portugueses / Environments of professional nursing practice in portuguese prison services

O ambiente prisional é um contexto de prática profissional em que as questões de humanização, ética, segurança e qualidade se entrecruzam, requerendo condições que garantam a prestação de cuidados ajustados às necessidades dos reclusos. O presente estudo teve como objetivo geral analisar as características dos ambientes da prática profissional de enfermagem nos serviços prisionais portugueses. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo, exploratório, quanti-qualitativo concretizado em 49 estabelecimentos prisionais portugueses. A população alvo foi constituída por todos os enfermeiros do quadro da Direção Geral de Reinserção e Serviços Prisionais, destes a amostra resultou em 77 enfermeiros e enfermeiros especialistas, o que corresponde a 39,38% da população de profissionais de enfermagem do quadro da instituição, que atualmente possui 196 enfermeiros. A técnica de amostragem foi não probabilística por conveniência. Como instrumento de colheita de dados foi aplicado um questionário online de autopreenchimento composto por três partes, elaborado no Google Forms e enviado para os mails institucionais dos participantes, a colheita de dados foi efetuada nos meses de junho e julho de 2022. Como estratégia de análise de dados, os dados quantitativos foram analisados através do Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, versão 27.0), através da estatística descritiva. Os dados qualitativos foram analisados por meio da Análise Temática de Bardin (2011), alicerçada no referencial teórico de Donabedian. No que se refere aos resultados quantitativos do estudo nenhuma dimensão foi considerada como pouco favorável à qualidade dos cuidados. Todavia, algumas dimensões apresentaram-se apenas moderadamente favoráveis à qualidade dos cuidados, entre elas, no componente estrutura a "Participação e envolvimento dos enfermeiros nas políticas, estratégias e funcionamento da instituição" (Média 2,41) e a "Política institucional para qualificação profissional" (Média 2,44).No componente processo destacou-se a dimensão "Práticas autónomas no exercício profissional" (Média 2,50) e do componente resultado a dimensão "Avaliação sistemática do desempenho e supervisão dos enfermeiros" (Média 2,55). As dimensões pontuadas como favoráveis à qualidade dos cuidados foram no componente estrutura "Gestão de pessoas e liderança no serviço" (Média 3,44), no componente processo "Práticas autónomas no exercício profissional" (Média 3,75) e do componente resultado "Avaliação sistemática da assistência de enfermagem e indicadores" (Média 2,78). Por último a única dimensão que apresentou média >3,75 correspondente a um ambiente de prática muito favorável à qualidade de cuidados foi a dimensão do componente processo, "Sustentação teórica e legal do exercício profissional" (Média 3,81). No que se refere à perceção dos participantes sobre as estratégias de melhoria dos ambientes da prática do componente estrutura, é emergente investir em recursos humanos; no desenvolvimento de um sistema de informação informatizado; de melhores equipamentos e infraestruturas dos serviços clínicos; No que se refere ao componente processo urge reflexão entre enfermeiros e restante equipa multidisciplinar sobre os cuidados de saúde prestados aos reclusos e criação e monitorização de procedimento de avaliação de desempenho justo aos enfermeiros nos serviços prisionais. Em relação ao componente resultado, é fundamental investir na criação de sistemas de garantia de qualidade e segurança dos cuidados. Na área do exercício profissional, assegurar vínculos profissionais efetivos ao invés dos vínculos precários em regimes de avença existentes e garantir consequentemente uma renumeração justa e adequada à função e de acordo com o previsto na carreira de enfermagem existente foram outros dos resultados. Por outro lado, a valorização, o reconhecimento social e profissional dos enfermeiros dos serviços prisionais são ainda outra das conclusões importantes do estudo.

The prison environment is a context of professional practice in which issues of humanization, ethics, safety and quality intersect, requiring conditions that guarantee the provision of care adjusted to the needs of inmates. The present study aimed to analyze the characteristics of professional nursing practice environments in Portuguese prison services. This is a descriptive, exploratory, quantitative-qualitative study carried out in 49 Portuguese prisons. The target population consisted of all nurses from the General Directorate of Reinsertion and Prison Services, of which the sample resulted in 77 nurses and specialist nurses, which corresponds to 39.38% of the population of nursing professionals in the institution's staff, which currently has 196 nurses. The sampling technique was non-probabilistic for convenience. As a data collection instrument, an online self-completion questionnaire was applied, consisting of three parts, prepared in Google Forms and sent to the institutional emails of the participants, data collection was carried out in the months of june and july 2022. As a data analysis strategy, quantitative data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, version 27.0), using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were analyzed using Bardin's Thematic Analysis (2011), based on Donabedian's theoretical framework. With regard to the quantitative results of the study, no dimension was considered unfavorable to the quality of care. However, some dimensions were only moderately favorable to the quality of care, among them, in the structure component, the "Participation and involvement of nurses in the policies, strategies and functioning of the institution" (Average 2.41) and the "Institutional policy for qualification professional" (Average 2.44). In the process component, the dimension "Autonomous practices in professional practice" (Average 2.50) and from the result component, the dimension "Systematic evaluation of the performance and supervision of nurses" (Average 2, 55). The dimensions scored as favorable to the quality of care were in the structure component "People management and leadership in the service" (Average 3.44), in the process component "Autonomous practices in professional practice" (Average 3.75) and in the result component "Systematic evaluation of nursing care and indicators" (Average 2.78). Finally, the only dimension that presented an average >3.75 corresponding to a practice environment very favorable to the quality of care was the dimension of the process component, "Theoretical and legal support of professional practice" (Average 3.81). With regard to the participants' perception of strategies for improving the practice environments of the structure component, it is important to invest in human resources; development of a computerized information system; better equipment and infrastructure for clinical services; With regard to the process component, there is an urgent need for reflection between nurses and the rest of the multidisciplinary team on the health care provided to inmates and the creation and monitoring of a fair performance assessment procedure for nurses in prison services. Regarding the result component, it is essential to invest in the creation of quality assurance and care safety systems. In the area of professional practice, ensuring effective professional bonds instead of precarious bonds in existing salary schemes and consequently guaranteeing a fair and adequate remuneration for the function and in accordance with what was foreseen in the existing nursing career were other results. On the other hand, the appreciation, social and professional recognition of nurses in prison services are yet another important conclusion of the study.

Impact of chronic orofacial pain of temporomandibular disorder and anxiety on the academic performance of dental students / Impacto da dor orofacial crônica da disfunção temporomandibular e ansiedade no desempenho acadêmico de estudantes de odontologia

Introduction: The presence of chronic pain and mood disorders can be related to the performance of intellectual and technical tasks. Objective: This study evaluated the correlation between anxiety level, chronic orofacial pain of temporomandibular disorders (TMD), and academic performance in dental students. Methods: One hundred ninety-five students (74 men and 121 women) answered the Spielberger's trait­state anxiety inventory to evaluate the level of anxiety; the Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (RDC/TMD) was used to analyze chronic orofacial pain of TMD, and the academic performance was evaluated through the average grade of all college subjects concluded by the students. Correlations between the presence of chronic orofacial pain of TMD, trait, and state anxiety levels, chronic pain grade (CPG), chronic pain intensity (CPI), and academic performance were tested using Pearson's correlation test. Results: The mean age of the students was 21.8 years (SD=2.3). Chronic TMD was observed in 37.5% of the students. The majority of students had moderate trait and state anxiety. A significant correlation was observed between traitanxiety level and CPG (r=0.148, p=0.044), and CPI (r=0.187, p=0.009). No significant correlation was found between academic grade and presence of chronic pain of TMD (r=0.041, p=0.571), trait (r=0.079, p=0.273) and state-anxiety (r=0.107, p=0.136). Conclusion: The CPG and CPI increase in participants with higher trait-anxiety levels, however, no significant correlation was found between academic performance and trait/state anxiety or chronic orofacial pain of TMD.

Clinicopathological and prognostic profile of non-smoking and non-drinking head and neck cancer patients: a population-based comparative study.

Tobacco and alcohol consumption are the main risk factors for head and neck cancer (HNC). However, some individuals do not have a history of addiction and even so they develop the disease. This study evaluated clinicopathological and prognostic features of non-smoking and non-drinking (NSND) HNC patients. A sample of smoking and/or drinking (SD) HNC patients was used to explore the differences with NSND patients. Data were obtained from 667 patients with squamous cell carcinoma in oral cavity, oropharynx or larynx. The group of NSND individuals represented 12.6% of the HNC patients and had higher prevalence of women and elderly compared to SD group. Among NSND patients, most of them displayed tumors in oral cavity, advanced clinical staging and absence of second primary tumor. NSND HNC patients had higher tumor recurrence and increased overall and specific survival rates at 5-years follow-up. The NSND group showed higher prevalence of tumors in lips and alveolar ridge, lower rate of tumors in floor of mouth and no tumor in soft palate. NSND patients show a distinct profile from that found in SD patients. Clinicopathological features from NSND patients should be considered for HNC management.

HIV-related plasmablastic lymphoma causing extensive bone destruction in the mandible.

Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is a rare subtype of large B-cell lymphoma commonly associated with HIV infection. HIV-related PBL has a dismal prognosis. The aggressive clinical course of the disease may lead to the development of rapid-growing swellings, like several benign and malignant conditions. Herein, we reported the case of a 38-year-old woman with a painful swelling in the mandible initially diagnosed as an abscess derived from a tooth extraction. Intraoral examination revealed a painful swelling with reddish, white and purplish areas in the posterior region of the mandible without signs of infection. Imaging exams showed an extensive bone destruction in the left mandibular body. Histopathological examination revealed a high proliferation of plasmacytoid cells with nuclear hyperchromatism. Tumor cells were negative for CD20, and positive for Ki-67, CD138, IgG and lambda chain. The diagnosis of oral PBL was defined and serological test showed positivity for HIV. Eight months after starting treatment, the patient died due to complications of cancer treatment. Lymphoproliferative malignancies related to HIV infection should be included in the differential diagnosis of rapid-growing swellings in the oral cavity.

Pleomorphic sarcoma of maxillary sinus: Clinical report of a patient initially diagnosed with denture-induced fibrous hyperplasia.

Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma is a high-grade soft-tissue malignant tumor that is rare in the head and neck region. A 74-year-old woman displayed a large nodular lesion in the maxillary alveolar mucosa, which was initially identified as denture-related fibrous hyperplasia. Although her prosthodontist has adjusted the maxillary complete denture to relieve pressure on the lesion, it increased in size over time. Computed tomography images of the maxillary sinus showed an extensive destructive lesion. A biopsy was performed, and microscopic examination revealed a poorly differentiated malignancy with numerous spindle cells. Immunohistochemistry reactions were negative for CD45, CD30, CD68, CD34, cytokeratin, S100, desmin, and smooth muscle actin. These findings led to the diagnosis of an undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma of the maxillary sinus.

Blastoid variant of mantle cell lymphoma in palatine tonsil.

Blastoid variant of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive and extremely rare malignancy. MCL may be diagnosed in lymph nodes and/or extranodal sites exhibiting a poor prognosis. MCL with primary presentation in palatine tonsils has been rarely reported. Herein, we report the case of a 73-year-old man with a painless nodular mass on the right palatine tonsil. A biopsy was performed, and microscopic analysis revealed a neoplasm composed of small to medium sized lymphocytes with finely dispersed chromatin, roundish nucleus and many mitoses. The tumor cells were positive for CD20 (L26), CD5 (4C7), Cyclin D1 (EP12), Bcl2 (124) and Ki-67 (MIB-1; 90%), and negative for Bcl6 (PG-B6p), MUM1 (MUM1p) and CD3 (Polyclonal). These findings led to the diagnosis of blastoid variant of MCL. Diagnostic workup with computed tomography scan excluded other sites of disease. The patient was treated successfully with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisolone (mini-CHOP regimen). Although the blastoid variant of MCL is rare, it should be included in the differential diagnosis of rapid-growing masses in the palatine tonsil.

Stress hormones promote DNA damage in human oral keratinocytes.

Chronic stress increases the systemic levels of stress hormones norepinephrine and cortisol. As well as tobacco-specific carcinogen NNK (4-(methylnitrosamine)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone), they can induce expressive DNA damage contributing to the cancer development. However, it is unknown whether stress hormones have genotoxic effects in oral keratinocytes. This study investigated the effects of stress hormones on DNA damage in a human oral keratinocyte cell line (NOK-SI). NOK-SI cells stimulated with norepinephrine or cortisol showed higher DNA damage compared to untreated cells. Norepinephrine-induced DNA damage was reversed by pre-treatment with beta-adrenergic blocker propranolol. Cells treated with NNK combined to norepinephrine displayed reduced levels of caspases 3 and 7. Cortisol also reduced the activity of pro-apoptotic enzymes. NNK or norepinephrine promoted single-strand breaks and alkali-label side breaks in the DNA of NOK-SI cells. Pre-treatment of cells with propranolol abolished these effects. Carcinogen NNK in the presence or absence of cortisol also induced DNA damage of these cells. The genotoxic effects of cortisol alone and hormone combined with NNK were blocked partially and totally, respectively, by the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU486. DNA damage promoted by NNK or cortisol and carcinogen combined to the hormone led to intracellular γH2AX accumulation. The effects caused by NNK and cortisol were reversed by propranolol and glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU486, respectively. Propranolol inhibited the oxidation of basis induced by NNK in the presence of DNA-formamidopyrimidine glycosylase. DNA breaks induced by norepinephrine in the presence or absence of NNK resulted in higher 8OHdG cellular levels. This effect was also induced through beta-adrenergic receptors. Together, these findings indicate that stress hormones induce DNA damage of oral keratinocytes and could contribute to oral carcinogenesis.

Social isolation stress facilitates chemically induced oral carcinogenesis.

Social isolation has affected a large number of people and may lead to impairment of physical and mental health. Although stress resulting from social isolation may increase cancer progression, its interference on tumorigenesis is poorly known. In this study, we used a preclinical model to evaluate the effects of social isolation stress on chemically induced oral carcinogenesis. Sixty-two 21-day-old male Wistar rats were divided into isolated and grouped groups. After 90 days of age, the rats from both groups underwent oral carcinogenesis with 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO) for 20 weeks. All rats were assessed for depressive-like behavior and euthanized for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) diagnosis and measurement of inflammatory mediators in the tumor microenvironment. Social isolation stress increased the OSCC occurrence by 20.4% when compared to control. Isolated rats also showed higher tumor volume and cachexia than the grouped rats. Social isolation did not induce changes in the depressive-like behavior after carcinogenic induction. Tumors from stressed rats had increased levels of the inflammatory mediators, TNF-alpha, IL1-beta and MCP-1. The concentrations of TNF-alpha and MCP-1 were significantly increased in the large tumors from isolated animals. Higher tumor levels of TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL1-beta and MCP-1 were positively correlated with OSCC growth. This study provides the first evidence that social isolation stress may facilitate OSCC occurrence and tumor progression, an event accompanied by increased local levels of inflammatory mediators.

Beta-adrenergic blocker inhibits oral carcinogenesis and reduces tumor invasion.

PURPOSE: Beta-adrenergic signaling can influence cancer progression and the use of beta blockers as adjuvant drugs in oncologic patients has been suggested. However, the involvement of beta-adrenergic blockers in tumorigenesis is poorly understood. This study investigated the action of beta-adrenergic blocker propranolol on tumor onset using a preclinical model of chemically induced oral cancer. METHODS: Thirty-two male Wistar rats were subjected to daily subcutaneous injection of beta-blocker propranolol (10 mg/kg; SubQ), while another 32 rats received only a PBS injection (sham group). One week after starting propranolol treatment, all rats were submitted to chemical induction of oral carcinogenesis with 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO). After 16 weeks, they were assessed for occurrence of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), in addition to measurement of tumor volume and thickness, and tissue levels of cytokines IL-6, TNF-alpha and IL-10 in the tumor microenvironment. RESULTS: Propranolol treatment reduced the occurrence of OSCC by 31%, 95% CI ( - 127, 216). Beta-adrenergic blocker significantly decreased thickness of OSCC when compared with PBS. Rats treated with propranolol exhibited a lower tumor volume when compared with control rats, but this result did not reach statistical significance. Tumors from propranolol-treated rats exhibited reduced concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α. There was no difference in the IL-10 levels between tumors from propranolol- and sham-treated rats. CONCLUSION: Beta-adrenergic signaling may be one of the mechanisms associated with chemically induced oral carcinogenesis.

Pineal gland protects against chemically induced oral carcinogenesis and inhibits tumor progression in rats.

Clinical investigations suggest that melatonin suppression and circadian dysfunction may be related to cancer development in shift workers. Studies also show that melatonin suppression after pinealectomy increases cancer incidence in preclinical models. However, no study evaluated the influence of pinealectomy on oral cancer development. In the current study, we investigated the effects of pinealectomy on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) occurrence and progression in rats. Rats submitted to sham surgery were used as control. Pinealectomy promoted an increase of 140% in OSCC occurrence when compared to sham animals. Tumors from pinealectomized rats displayed a higher volume and thickness than the tumors from sham-operated animals. Pinealectomy induced atrophy of the epithelium adjacent to the oral lesions. Pinealectomized rats showed higher mean number of tumor-associated macrophages and eosinophils in the invasive front of OSCC. In addition, nuclear overexpression of ERK1/2 and p53 was also observed in the front of carcinomas from pinealectomized rats. These results reveal that pineal gland plays a protective role against oral carcinogenesis. The melatonin suppression caused by the pinealectomy might contribute to oral cancer development by acting on ERK1/2 and p53 pathways and regulating tumor inflammation.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Oral Venous Malformation in a Child.

Venous malformations (VMs) are congenital disorders that constitute about 40% of all vascular anomalies. These lesions do not regress spontaneously and may increase in size during childhood. The case of a 10-year-old girl with an extensive oral VM is reported. Intraoral examination revealed the presence of purplish nodules in the alveolar mucosa and gingiva from anterior maxilla. Doppler ultrasound showed a well-defined hypoechoic image and increased vascularization with low blood flow for the alveolar mucosa lesion. The patient was submitted to intralesional injections of the ethanolamine oleate/mepivacaine sclerosing solution. After four sessions, there was a significant reduction of the lesions. However, the patient abandoned the treatment and the oral VM grew progressively. After 1 year, sclerotherapy was resumed and performed weekly. After 10 session of sclerotherapy, the oral VM totally regressed. The childhood is a critical period for oral VM growth. Doppler ultrasound and sclerotherapy can be effective for the management of extensive lesions in children.

Abdominal Actinomycosis misdiagnosed as liposarcoma

Actinomycosis is an uncommon, endogenous, and chronic infection with varied and nonspecific clinical features such as abdominal, pelvic or cervical masses, ulcerative lesions, abscesses, draining fistula, fibrosis, and constitutional symptoms. The disease ensues when the bacteria disrupt the mucosal barrier, invade, and spread throughout interfascial planes. Currently, the diagnosis of actinomycosis is challenging because of its very low frequency and depending on the clinical presentation it may masquerade malignancies. Therapy consists initially in intravenous penicillin, followed by an oral regimen that may be extended until a year of treatment. A timely diagnosis is crucial to avoid extensive therapeutic attempt as surgery. However, a biopsy or drainage of abscesses and fistula's tract may be required not only as a diagnostic procedure as part of the therapy. We report the case of a 72-year-old woman with an abdominal mass initially misdiagnosed as a liposarcoma. A second biopsy of a skin lesion of the abdominal wall made the diagnosis of actinomycosis, avoiding a major surgical procedure. The patient was treated with a long-term course of antibiotics with favorable outcome. Liposarcoma was ruled out after the patient's full recovery with antibiotics and the misdiagnosis was credit to the overconfidence on the immunohistochemical positivity to MDM2.

Abdominal Actinomycosis misdiagnosed as liposarcoma.

Actinomycosis is an uncommon, endogenous, and chronic infection with varied and nonspecific clinical features such as abdominal, pelvic or cervical masses, ulcerative lesions, abscesses, draining fistula, fibrosis, and constitutional symptoms. The disease ensues when the bacteria disrupt the mucosal barrier, invade, and spread throughout interfascial planes. Currently, the diagnosis of actinomycosis is challenging because of its very low frequency and depending on the clinical presentation it may masquerade malignancies. Therapy consists initially in intravenous penicillin, followed by an oral regimen that may be extended until a year of treatment. A timely diagnosis is crucial to avoid extensive therapeutic attempt as surgery. However, a biopsy or drainage of abscesses and fistula's tract may be required not only as a diagnostic procedure as part of the therapy. We report the case of a 72-year-old woman with an abdominal mass initially misdiagnosed as a liposarcoma. A second biopsy of a skin lesion of the abdominal wall made the diagnosis of actinomycosis, avoiding a major surgical procedure. The patient was treated with a long-term course of antibiotics with favorable outcome. Liposarcoma was ruled out after the patient's full recovery with antibiotics and the misdiagnosis was credit to the overconfidence on the immunohistochemical positivity to MDM2.

Stress hormones promote DNA damage in human oral keratinocytes / Hormônios do estresse promovem dano no DNA de queratinócitos humanos de boca

O estresse crônico aumenta os níveis sistêmicos dos hormônios do estresse norepinefrina e cortisol. Assim como o carcinógeno específico do tabaco NNK (4- (metilnitrosamina)-1-(3-piridil)-1-butanona), estes hormônios podem induzir danos expressivos no DNA, o que contribui para o desenvolvimento do câncer. No entanto, é desconhecido se os hormônios do estresse possuem efeitos genotóxicos em queratinócitos de boca. Este estudo investigou os efeitos dos hormônios do estresse sobre o dano no DNA de uma linhagem celular de queratinócitos humanos de boca (NOK-SI). Células NOK-SI estimuladas com norepinefrina ou cortisol apresentaram maior dano no DNA que as células não tratadas. O dano induzido pela norepinefrina foi revertido pelo pré-tratamento das células com um beta-bloqueador. Células tratadas com NNK combinado à norepinefrina apresentaram níveis reduzidos das caspases 3 e 7. O cortisol também reduziu a atividade das enzimas pro-apoptóticas em relação às células não estimuladas. O dano no DNA promovido pelo NNK e cortisol e pela combinação de ambos levou ao acúmulo de γH2AX intracelular. Os efeitos causados pelo NNK e cortisol foram bloqueados com propranolol e com o antagonista do receptor de glicorcorticoide RU486, respectivamente. As quebras no DNA induzidas pela norepinefrina, na presença ou ausência de NNK, resultaram em maiores níveis celulares de 8OHdG. Este efeito também foi induzido via receptores beta-adrenérgicos. Os hormônios do estresse induzem danos no DNA de queratinócitos de boca e poderiam contribuir para a carcinogênese bucal(AU)

Chronic stress increases the systemic levels of stress hormones norepinephrine and cortisol. As well tobacco-specific carcinogen NNK (4-(methylnitrosamine)-1-(3- pyridyl)-1-butanone), they can induce expressive DNA damage contributing to the cancer development. However, it is unknown whether stress hormones have genotoxic effects in oral keratinocytes. This study investigated the effects of stress hormones on DNA damage in a human oral keratinocyte cell line (NOK-SI). NOK-SI cells stimulated with norepinephrine or cortisol showed higher DNA damage than untreated cells. Norepinephrine-induced DNA damage was reversed by pretreatment with beta-adrenergic blocker propranolol. Cells treated with NNK combined to norepinephrine displayed reduced levels of caspases 3 and 7. Cortisol also reduced the activity of pro-apoptotic enzymes. DNA damage promoted by NNK or cortisol and carcinogen combined to the hormone led to intracellular γH2AX accumulation. The effects caused by NNK and cortisol were abolished by propranolol and glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU486, respectively. DNA breaks induced by norepinephrine in the presence or absence of NNK resulted in higher 8OHdG cellular levels. This effect was also induced through beta-adrenergic receptors. Stress hormones induce DNA damage of oral keratinocytes and could contribute to oral carcinogenesis(AU)