Revisiting the impact of clinicopathologic characteristics in PD-L1 profile in a large cohort of non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Immunotherapies using anti-programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) agents have recently shown remarkable outcomes in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, there was a poor correlation between PD-L1 expression and treatment response. Many researchers have focused on the clinicopathological factors associated with prognosis, but the results are conflicting. In the present study, we investigated the clinicopathological significance of PD-L1 overexpression in NSCLC cells. Methods: In total, 344 NSCLC cases with PD-L1 assays were retrospectively analyzed. PD-L1 expression was evaluated via immunohistochemical staining using antibodies against SP263 and SP142. The correlation between clinicopathological factors and PD-L1 expression was analyzed for various clinicopathological features. Results: PD-L1 expression significantly correlated with several poor clinicopathological factors, including the solid component of adenocarcinoma, lymphatic invasion, and recurrence. Squamous cell carcinoma, older age, and male sex were also associated with PD-L1 expression. However, we could not observe correlation between PD-L1 expression and disease-free survival (DFS). A novel finding was that lower metastasis was associated with high PD-L1 expression of SP142 in tumor-infiltrating immune cells (ICs). Conclusions: PD-L1 expression in NSCLC is associated with adverse clinicopathological features and recurrence; therefore, it could be utilized to predict poor prognosis. Furthermore, the high PD-L1 expression of SP142 in tumor-infiltrating ICs could be a potential marker for low metastasis.

Brown Algae Dictyopteris divaricata Attenuates Adipogenesis by Modulating Adipocyte Differentiation and Promoting Lipolysis through Heme Oxygenase-1 Activation in 3T3-L1 Cells.

The present study aims to explore the probable anti-adipogenesis effect of Dictyopteris divaricata (D. divaricata) in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes by regulating heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). The extract of D. divaricata retarded lipid accretion and decreased triglyceride (TG) content in 3T3-L1 adipocytes but increased free glycerol levels. Treatment with the extract inhibited lipogenesis by inhibiting protein expressions of fatty acid synthase (FAS) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL), whereas lipolysis increased by activating phosphorylation of hormone-sensitive lipase (p-HSL) and AMP-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK). The extract inhibited adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes through down-regulating adipogenic transcription factors, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα), and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1). This is attributed to the triggering of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling. In addition, this study found that treatment with the extract activated HO-1 expression. Pharmacological approaches revealed that treatment with Zinc Protoporphyrin (ZnPP), an HO-1 inhibitor, resulted in an increase in lipid accumulation and a decrease in free glycerol levels. Finally, three adipogenic transcription factors, such as PPARγ, C/EBPα, and SREBP1, restored their expression in the presence of ZnPP. Analysis of chemical constituents revealed that the extract of D. divaricata is rich in 1,4-benzenediol, 7-tetradecenal, fucosterol, and n-hexadecanoic acid, which are known to have multiple pharmacological properties.

Microbial isolates and antibiotic sensitivity in patients hospitalized with odontogenic infections at a tertiary center over 10 years.

Objectives: This study investigated causative strains and their antibiotic sensitivity in patients who were hospitalized for maxillofacial odontogenic infections at a tertiary center in South Korea over the past 10 years with the aim of providing guidelines for the selection of appropriate empirical antibiotics. Materials and Methods: Patients with head and neck fascial space abscesses due to odontogenic infections who underwent incision and drainage surgery with pus culture tests between 2013 and 2022 at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Dankook University Hospital were included. The bacterial isolates and antibiotic sensitivity of each strain were analyzed for 2013-2022, 2013-2017, and 2018-2022. The affected fascial spaces were classified into primary, secondary, and deep neck spaces. Results: In the 192 patients included in this study, 302 strains were detected. Viridans streptococcus had the highest frequency (51.7%), followed by Prevotella spp. (16.9%), Staphylococcus spp. (5.6%), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (4.6%). The identification rate of viridans streptococcus significantly increased from 41.8% in 2013-2017 to 60.9% in 2018-2022. Viridans streptococcus showed an antibiotic sensitivity of 80.5% to ampicillin; the sensitivity to penicillin antibiotics decreased over the study period. Antibiotic susceptibility was approximately 94% for third-generation cephalosporins. K. pneumoniae, which was identified at a high percentage in patients with deep neck space infection, showed increasing antibiotic resistance to most antibiotics over the study period. Conclusion: Viridans streptococcus was identified in head and neck fascial space abscesses with the highest frequency. Empirical antibiotics should be effective against this strain; penicillin antibiotics are considered inappropriate. For effective treatment of deep neck space abscesses, bacterial culture and antibiotic sensitivity tests performed as soon as possible are essential.

Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibition and Molecular Docking Study of Meroterpenoids Isolated from Brown Alga, Sargassum macrocarpum.

Angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) is an important blood pressure regulator. In this study, we aimed to investigate the ACE-inhibitory effects of meroterpenoids isolated from the brown alga, Sargassum macrocarpum, and the molecular mechanisms underlying ACE inhibition. Four fractions of S. macrocarpum were prepared using hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and water as solvents and analyzed for their potential ACE-inhibitory effects. The chloroform fraction showed the strongest ACE-inhibitory effect, with an IC50 value of 0.18 mg/mL. Three meroterpenoids, sargachromenol, 7-methyl sargachromenol, and sargaquinoic acid, were isolated from the chloroform fraction. Meroterpenoids isolated from S. macrocarpum had IC50 values of 0.44, 0.37, and 0.14 mM. The molecular docking study revealed that the ACE-inhibitory effect of the isolated meroterpenoids was mainly attributed to Zn-ion, hydrogen bonds, pi-anion, and pi-alkyl interactions between the meroterpenoids and ACE. These results suggest that S. macrocarpum could be a potential raw material for manufacturing antihypertensive nutraceutical ingredients.

Over-expression of Long Non-coding RNA Urothelial Cancer-associated 1 as a Predictive Marker for Prostate Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: To determine the expression of long non-coding RNA urothelial cancer-associated 1 (UCA1) by performing array-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and to identify the clinicopathological significance of UCA1 expression in prostate cancer using in situ hybridization (ISH) of surgically resected specimens. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Array-based quantitative PCR was performed using 10 pairs of fresh malignant (prostate cancer) and normal tissue samples to determine UCA1 expression. Single-color RNA ISH of surgically resected prostate cancer specimens was performed using 70 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue specimens to examine the clinicopathological significance of UCA1. RESULTS: Prostate cancer tissues exhibited higher levels of UCA1 expression than paired benign tissues. Furthermore, a correlation between high UCA1 expression and unfavourable clinicopathological characteristics, including advanced pathologic T stage, extraprostatic extension, presence of Gleason pattern 5, and involvement of the resection margins was observed. Notably, increased UCA1 expression significantly correlated with high- or very-high-risk patients, as defined by the 2023 National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines. CONCLUSION: UCA1 could be used as a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for establishing an effective treatment protocol for prostate cancer.

Sphingomicrobium sediminis sp. nov., isolated from marine sediment in the Republic of Korea.

A Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, bright-orange coloured bacterium without flagellum, designated as strain GRR-S6-50T, was isolated from a tidal flat of Garorim bay, Taean-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do, Republic of Korea. Cells grew aerobically at 20-37 °C (optimum, 30 °C), pH 7.0-10.0 (optimum, pH 7.0) and with 1-5 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 3 %). The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis demonstrated that strain GRR-S6-50T was closely related to Sphingomicrobium aestuariivivum AH-M8T with a sequence similarity of 97.80 % followed by Sphingomicrobium astaxanthinifaciens CC-AMO-30BT (97.44 %), Sphingomicrobium marinum CC- AMZ-30MT (97.16 %), Sphingomicrobium arenosum CAU 1457T (96.37 %), Sphingomicrobium flavum CC-AMZ-30NT (95.31 %) and Sphingomicrobium lutaoense CC-TBT-3T (95.23 %). The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values with related strains ranged from 74.5 to 77.3% and 21.1 to 35.0 %, respectively. The G+C content of strain GRR-S6-50T was 63.30 mol%. The strain has ubiquinone-10 as the predominant respiratory quinone and the major fatty acids were C18 : 3 ω6c (54.57 %) and C17 : 1 ω6c (10.58 %). The polar lipids consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, three unidentified lipids and one glycolipid. On the basis of the results of phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic studies, strain GRR-S6-50T is regarded to represent a novel species within the genus Sphingomicrobium, for which the name Sphingomicrobium sediminis sp. nov. (KACC 22562T=KCTC 92123T=JCM 35084T) is proposed.

Novel conformation of hyaluronic acid with improved cosmetic efficacy.

BACKGROUND: Hyaluronic acid presents a valuable cosmetic ingredient that occurs naturally. Its direct links to skin aging has led to its broad application. The aim of this study was to improve the cosmetic efficacy of high molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HMWHA) without chemical modifications and evaluate such improvements through clinical and in vitro studies. METHODS: A novel formulation of HMWHA (SCAI-HA) was prepared and investigated to comparatively assess 6 clinical and 2 in vitro parameters concerning its dermatological cosmetic efficacy and biological properties. The dermatological and cellular parameters examined in this study include skin hydration, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), skin elasticity, wrinkles, facial sagging, dermal density, cytotoxicity, and collagen synthesis. RESULTS: SCAI-HA exhibited the ability to improve the tested dermatological parameters (hydration, elasticity, wrinkles, and density) to magnitudes comparable to those of HMWHA. In addition, SCAI-HA showed notably improved capacities for attenuating facial sagging and TEWL and promoting cellular collagen synthesis in normal human dermal fibroblasts. CONCLUSION: SCAI-HA presents a novel conformation of HMWHA with improved cosmetic efficacy in mitigating (i) facial sagging, (ii) TEWL, and promoting, and (iii) collagen synthesis. These findings denote the enhancement of SCAI-HA as a cosmetic ingredient with potential anti-aging properties.

Identification of a Novel Long Non-coding RNA, lnc-ATMIN-4:2, and its Clinicopathological and Prognostic Significance in Advanced Gastric Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as significant regulators of gene expression and a novel promising biomarker for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. This study identified a novel, differentially expressed lncRNA in advanced gastric cancer (AGC), Inc-ATMIN-4:2, and evaluated its clinicopathological and prognostic significance. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Whole transcriptome sequencing was performed to identify differentially expressed lncRNAs in AGC tissue samples. We also analyzed lnc-ATMIN-4:2 expression in 317 patients with AGC using RNA in situ hybridization. RESULTS: High (>30 dots) lnc-ATMIN-4:2 expression significantly correlated with younger age, poorly differentiated histology, diffuse type, deeper invasion depth, perineural invasion, lymph node metastasis, and higher stage group. In addition, high lnc-ATMIN-4:2 expression was significantly associated with worse overall survival in patients with AGC. CONCLUSION: This study elucidated the significance of lncRNAs in AGC and indicated the value of lnc-ATMIN-4:2 expression as a predictive biomarker for the overall survival of patients with AGC.

Osseous metaplasia of the palate: a case report.

Osseous metaplasia is defined as the formation of lamellar bone inside soft tissue structures where bone normally does not exist. It results from the transformation of non-osseous connective tissue into mature bone. This condition is rare in the oral and maxillofacial region. We report a case of osseous metaplasia of the maxilla, a rare benign tumor in an uncommon region. A 60-year-old male patient visited our clinic complaining of foreign body sensation and asymptomatic swelling on the right palatal side. However, he did not experience pain and reported no local trauma that he could remember. Intra-oral examination revealed an exophytic lesion on the right palatal portion. On computed tomography, there was a round hard-tissue mass approximately 2 cm in diameter on the right palate area. The mass was biopsied and diagnosed as an osseous metaplasia. We review the clinical, radiographic, and histologic features and common causes of osseous metaplasia and report a rare case of osseous metaplasia of the palate.

Aurantiacibacter sediminis sp. nov., a marine bacterium isolated from a tidal flat.

A yellow-coloured bacterium, designated as strain JGD-13T, was isolated from a tidal flat in the Republic of Korea. Cells were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-flagellated and rod-shaped. Growth was observed at 4-42 °C (optimum, 30 °C), at pH 6.0-12.0 (pH 7.0-8.0) and at 1-7 % (w/v) NaCl concentration (3 %). The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain JGD-13T was closely related to Aurantiacibacter gangjinensis K7-2T with a sequence similarity of 98.2 %, followed by Aurantiacibacter aquimixticola JSSK-14T (98.1 %), Aurantiacibacter atlanticus s21-N3T (97.6 %), Aurantiacibacter zhengii V18T (97.6 %) and Aurantiacibacter luteus KA37T (97.5 %). The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values with related strains were 70.3-76.2 % and 18.5-20.3 %. The genomic DNA G+C content was 60.2 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis using the maximum-likelihood method showed that strain JGD-13T formed a clade with A. aquimixticola JSSK-14T and A. gangjinensis K7-2T. The major fatty acids were summed feature 8 (39.7 %) and C17 : 1 ω6c (14.4 %). The predominant respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-10. The polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, one sphingoglycolipid and three unidentified lipids. On the basis of phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain JGD-13T represents a novel species within the genus Aurantiacibacter, for which the name Aurantiacibacter sediminis JGD-13Tsp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is JGD-13T (=KCTC 72892T=KACC 21676T=JCM 33995T).

Bullous pemphigoid diagnosis: the role of routine formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded skin tissue immunochemistry.

The gold standard for diagnosing bullous pemphigoid (BP) is the detection of linear deposition of IgG and/or C3 at the dermoepidermal junction using direct immunofluorescence (DIF). Because DIF has several disadvantages, primarily the requirement for frozen specimens, we assessed the diagnostic value of immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for BP detection. Eighty-eight patients with bullous lesions were included in this study. IHC staining for C3d, C4d, and IgG was performed on 88 samples, which included specimens from patients with DIF-confirmed BP (n = 43), clinicopathologically suspected BP with negative DIF results (n = 9), and other bullous diseases (n = 36). Diagnosis based on positive results for C3d, C4d, or IgG in IHC staining detected 86% of DIF-confirmed BP cases. The sensitivity of IHC staining for the detection of DIF-confirmed BP cases and clinicopathologically suspected BP cases was similar to that of DIF (80.8% vs. 84.3%), but the specificity was higher (83.3% vs. 75.0%). Five of the nine clinicopathologically suspected BP cases were diagnosed using IHC staining. Thus, IHC staining of routine biopsy material could be an alternative method for diagnosing BP. IHC staining has considerable diagnostic potential, especially in cases with a high suspicion of BP, but negative or suboptimal DIF results.Please check and confirm the author names and initials are correct. Author 2: Given name: [Chul Hwan] Family name: [Kim], Author 3: Given name: [Yoo Jin] Family name: [Lee].Checked it.

A systematic review of therapeutic outcomes following treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the retromolar trigone.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the retromolar trigone (RMT) is a rare but potentially fatal disease that carries a poor prognosis due to its unique anatomic position. RMT SCCs tend to spread to vital nearby structures, including the tonsillar pillar, masticatory muscles, and underlying mandibular bone, even in their early stages, and aggressive treatment is often warranted. This systematic review appraises and qualitatively analyzes all available literature regarding the survival outcomes and prognosis of RMT SCC. Four databases were searched to identify all eligible articles published since January 1980. Of the 1,248 studies, a total of 15 studies representing 4,838 cases met the inclusion criteria. The evaluated patients had a high rate of advanced tumor stage (T3 or T4: 61.4%), lymph node metastasis (38.8%), and mandibular bone invasion (24%) at the time of diagnosis. Aggressive surgical treatments such as lip-splitting (92%), segmental mandibulectomy (61.1%), radical neck dissection (44.1%), and reconstruction using free flaps (49.5%) was undertaken for 92% of the pooled patient population. The mean rates for local, regional, and systemic recurrence were 23.40%, 8.40%, and 8.50%, respectively. The mean 5-year overall survival rate was 38.90%. Osteonecrosis was noted in 11.6% of the 328 patients who received radio-therapy. In conclusion, RMT SCC is generally associated with high recurrence, low survival, and high postoperative complication rates. Early diagnosis and aggressive treatment are thus warranted. However, significant methodological problems hamper current knowledge. Future studies of this topic that use randomized or cohort designs are thus needed.

Factors associated with treatment outcomes of patients hospitalized with severe maxillofacial infections at a tertiary center.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the variables associated with length of stay (LOS), hospital costs, intensive care unit (ICU) use, and treatment outcomes in patients hospitalized for maxillofacial infections at a tertiary medical center in South Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: : A retrospective chart review was conducted for patients admitted for treatment of maxillofacial infections at Dankook University Hospital from January 1, 2011 through September 30, 2020. A total of 390 patient charts were reviewed and included in the final statistical analyses. RESULTS: : Average LOS and hospital bill per patient of this study was 11.47 days, and ₩4,710,017.25 ($4,216.67), respectively. Of the 390 subjects, 97.3% were discharged routinely following complete recovery, 1.0% expired following treatment, and 0.8% were transferred to another hospital. In multivariate linear regression analyses to determine variables associated with LOS, admission year, infection side, Flynn score, deep neck infection, cardiovascular disease, admission C-reactive protein (CRP) and glucose levels, number and length of surgical interventions, tracheostomy, time elapsed from admission to first surgery, and length of ICU stay accounted for 85.8% of the variation. With regard to the total hospital bill, significantly associated variables were age, type of insurance, Flynn score, number of comorbidities, admission CRP, white blood cell, and glucose levels, admission temperature, peak temperature, surgical intervention, the length, type, and location of surgery, tracheostomy, time elapsed from admission to first surgery, and length of ICU use, which accounted for 90.4% of the variation. Age and ICU use were the only variables significantly associated with unfavorable discharge outcomes in multivariate logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSION: For successful and cost-effective management of maxillofacial infections, clinicians to be vigilant about the decision to admit patients with maxillofacial infections, perform appropriate surgery at an adequate time, and admit them to the ICU.

Landscape of epigenetically regulated lncRNAs and DNA methylation in smokers with lung adenocarcinoma.

In this study, we identified long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) associated with DNA methylation in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) using clinical and methylation/expression data from 184 qualified LUAD tissue samples and 21 normal lung-tissue samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We identified 1865 differentially expressed genes that correlated negatively with the methylation profiles of normal lung tissues, never-smoker LUAD tissues and smoker LUAD tissues, while 1079 differentially expressed lncRNAs were identified using the same criteria. These transcripts were integrated using ingenuity pathway analysis to determine significant pathways directly related to cancer, suggesting that lncRNAs play a crucial role in carcinogenesis. When comparing normal lung tissues and smoker LUAD tissues, 86 candidate genes were identified, including six lncRNAs. Of the 43 candidate genes revealed by comparing never-smoker LUAD tissues and smoker LUAD tissues, 13 were also different when compared to normal lung tissues. We then investigated the expression of these genes using the Gene Expression of Normal and Tumor Tissues (GENT) and Methylation and Expression Database of Normal and Tumor Tissues (MENT) databases. We observed an inverse correlation between the expression of 13 genes in normal lung tissues and smoker LUAD tissues, and the expression of five genes between the never-smoker and smoker LUAD tissues. These findings were further validated in clinical specimens using bisulfite sequencing, revealing that AGR2, AURKB, FOXP3, and HMGA1 displayed borderline differences in methylation. Finally, we explored the functional connections between DNA methylation, lncRNAs, and gene expression to identify possible targets that may contribute toward the pathogenesis of cigarette smoking-associated LUAD. Together, our findings suggested that differentially expressed lncRNAs and their target transcripts could serve as potential biomarkers for LUAD.

Characteristic Imaging Features of Merkel Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare primary cutaneous tumor. The standardized imaging guidelines for the diagnosis of MCC have not been established. We report the multimodality imaging features of MCC, including CT, MRI, and ultrasound with grayscale and color Doppler mode as well as the elastography and even a histopathologic confirmation. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 76-year old male patient with MCC on the elbow that was treated by excision. On MRI, prominent T2 low signal voiding was noted with branching or chaotic pattern and marked, branching, or chaotic vascularity was also seen on color doppler ultrasound. Those findings corresponded to histology that showed increased vascularity in stromal tissues of the tumor and in between the tumor cells. CONCLUSION: A mass in the dermal and subcutaneous layer with marked and branching or chaotic vascularity may be the unique characteristic that may contribute to early diagnosis of MCC.

Different Immunohistochemical Localization of Fatty Acid Binding Protein 5 in Actinic Keratosis Compared with That in Bowen's Disease: A Retrospective Study.

ABSTRACT: Actinic keratosis (AK) and Bowen's disease (BD) are common premalignant lesions of invasive squamous cell carcinoma that have different pathogenesis and clinical significance. Fatty acid-binding protein 5 (FABP5) is responsible for keratinocyte homeostasis and differentiation; however, no study has revealed its expression in AK and BD. Our study aimed to investigate the differential expression and significance of FABP5 in these lesions. Patients with pathologically confirmed cases of AK (n = 37) and BD (n = 12) were included in this study. FABP5 immunostaining pattern was assessed in the normal skin, AK and BD lesions, with a focus on the staining patterns of basal cells, atypical keratinocytes, and uninvolved epidermal keratinocytes. All patients with AK showed negative FABP5 expression in the atypical cells in the basal layer, whereas the uninvolved upper layers showed diffuse, strong FABP5 expression, regardless of the grade of AK. All patients with BD showed heterogeneous and diffuse FABP5 expression in atypical cells of all layers of the epidermis. This study is the first to investigate the role of FABP5 in premalignant skin lesions. The unique immunohistochemical localization of the FABP5 can be a helpful diagnostic marker, and altered fatty acid metabolism may be the key in understanding the different pathophysiology of AK and BD.

Correlation between mandibular morphology and masticatory muscle thickness in normal occlusion and mandibular prognathism.

OBJECTIVES: : The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between masticatory muscle thickness and mandibular morphology in young Korean adults with normal occlusion and mandibular prognathism. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) was used to measure the masticatory muscle thickness on the right side in 100 Korean young adults (50 normal occlusion group, 50 mandibular prognathism group). Cephalometric analysis was done to measure mandibular morphology. Pearson correlation analysis was done to investigate the relationship between the masticatory muscle thickness and mandibular morphometry. RESULTS: The four masticatory muscles showed positive correlation with intergonial width in all subjects. All muscles, except temporalis, positively correlated with height of the ramus and mandibular length. Positive correlation was also observed in all muscles, except medial pterygoid, with thickness of the ramus. In the normal occlusion group, all four masticatory muscles showed positive correlation with intergonial width and ramus thickness. Positive correlation was also observed in all muscles (except lateral pterygoid) with mandibular length. Masseter and lateral pterygoid positively correlated with height of the ramus. In the mandibular prognathism group, all masticatory muscles, except lateral pterygoid, showed positive correlation with intergonial width. The masseter muscle showed negative correlation with ANB. CONCLUSION: The results suggest a positive correlation of the thickness of masticatory muscles with both horizontal and vertical dimensions of the mandible. However, thickness of the masseter was found to decrease in patients with increasing severity of mandibular prognathism.

Protective Effects of Oenothera biennis against Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Oxidative Stress and Cell Death in Skin Keratinocytes.

BACKGROUND: Oenothera biennis (evening primrose) produces bioactive substances with a diverse range of pharmacological functions. However, it is currently unknown whether extract prepared from the aerial parts of O. biennis (APOB) can protect the skin against oxidative stress. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate the protective effects of APOB against oxidative stress-induced damage in human skin keratinocytes (HaCaT) and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: We pretreated HaCaT cells with various concentrations of APOB or the antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine before applying H2O2. We then compared the cell viability, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and DNA and mitochondrial damage between pretreated and untreated control cells using a range of assays, flow cytometry, and Western blot analysis and also examined the reducing power and DPPH free radical scavenging activity of APOB. RESULTS: APOB pretreatment significantly increased cell viability, effectively attenuated H2O2-induced comet tail formation, and inhibited H2O2-induced phosphorylation of the histone γH2AX, as well as the number of apoptotic bodies and Annexin V-positive cells. APOB was found to have high reducing power and DPPH radical scavenging activity and also exhibited scavenging activity against intracellular ROS accumulation and restored the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential caused by H2O2. APOB pretreatment almost totally reversed the enhanced cleavage of caspase-3, the degradation of poly (ADP-ribose)-polymerase (PARP), DNA fragmentation that usually occurs in the presence of H2O2, and increased the levels of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a potent antioxidant enzyme that is associated with the induction of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). CONCLUSIONS: APOB can protect HaCaT cells from H2O2-induced DNA damage and cell death by blocking cellular damage related to oxidative stress via a mechanism that affects ROS elimination and by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

Radiation-induced angiosarcoma (RIAS) of the maxilla: a case report.

Angiosarcoma is a rare malignant mesenchymal tumor of vascular or lymphatic origin and represents less than 1% of all malignant tumors. Radiation therapy is a standard treatment in many head and neck cancer cases, but ionizing radiation is associated with radiation carcinogenesis including radiation-induced angiosarcoma. In this article, we report a rare case of radiation-induced angiosarcoma found in a 58-year-old female patient who was previously diagnosed with an odontogenic keratocyst and mucoepidermoid carcinoma.