Prevalence of human herpesvirus in plasma and saliva of cirrhotic patients: A pilot study.

AIMS: The objective of this study was to identify the presence of human herpesvirus (HHV) in the plasma and saliva of hepatic-cirrhosis patients and correlate it with clinical data and laboratory tests. This is a pilot, observational, and cross-sectional study. METHODS AND RESULTS: Specimens of plasma and saliva from 72 cirrhotic individuals were analyzed by means of polymerase chain reaction. The patient population had a mean age of 54.84 years old (SD ± 10) and was 70% males (51/72). Approximately 47% (n = 34) of the patients had leukopenia and HHV was not identified in the plasma specimens. The main species of HHV identified in the saliva were HHV-7 (n = 42, 62%) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) (n = 30, 41%). Moreover, there was a significant decrease in the total number of leukocytes and lymphocytes in saliva containing EBV (P = .038 and P = .047, respectively). CONCLUSION: The results show that the presence of EBV in the saliva of cirrhotic patients was correlated with their circulating immune status. It may be possible that the immune dysfunction displayed by the cirrhotic patients plays a role in the shedding of EBV into saliva.

Oral lesions of systemic lupus erythematosus: A collaborative Latin American study.

BACKGROUND: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multifactorial autoimmune disease that may affect the oral mucosa. The variable spectrum of oral lesions observed in SLE can pose challenges in diagnosis, particularly when the lesions occur in isolation. The aim of this study was to describe the oral lesions occurring in patients with SLE from Latin America. METHODS: This collaborative record-based study involving 11 oral and maxillofacial pathology and medicine services across Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, and Mexico describes the clinicopathological profile of SLE-related oral lesions. RESULTS: Seventy patients with SLE and oral lesions were included in the study. The majority were females (75.7%; female/male ratio: 3.1:1) and white (62.1%), with a mean age of 38.4 years (range: 11-77 years). The most common site of oral lesions was the hard/soft palate (32.0%). Clinically, oral lesions predominantly presented as ulcers (26.6%), erosions (26.6%), and white lesions (23.4%). Isolated oral lesions occurred in 65.2% of individuals, while cutaneous manifestations occurred in 80.3%. The main clinical diagnostic hypothesis in 71.4% of cases was an immune-mediated disease. Oral biopsies followed by histopathological analysis were performed in 50 cases. CONCLUSION: Oral lesions of SLE exhibit a variety of clinical and histopathological features. A key point in diagnosis is that unusual oral changes without an obvious local cause may indicate a possible systemic condition presenting with oral lesions. A multidisciplinary approach, which includes regular oral examination, is warranted to identify oral lesions and provide treatment.

Bone pattern changes in post liver transplant patients using bisphosphonates.

OBJECTIVE: To identify radiographic findings suggestive of drug-induced osteonecrosis and evaluate radiomorphometric patterns indicative of changes in bone mineral density in individuals transplanted for liver disorders using bisphosphonates. STUDY DESIGN: The study group included panoramic x-rays of liver transplant patients who are being monitored and who present a clinical status of osteoporosis and use bisphosphonates. The control group was made up of liver transplant patients who did not have osteoporosis. On panoramic radiographs, mental index (MI) and mandibular cortical index (MCI) and the presence of radiographic anomalies suggestive of osteonecrosis were evaluated. RESULTS: There were significant statistical results when comparing the groups in relation to the decrease in bone mineral density (BMD) with MCI-C3 (p = 0.036), however, there were none in relation to MI (p = 0.14). There were no valid statistical results when relating MCI (p = 0.94) and MI (p = 0.66) with reduced BMD and use of bisphosphonates. CONCLUSION: Liver transplant individuals using bisphosphonates present greater radiographic signs of bone sclerosis suggestive of a greater propensity to develop osteonecrosis of the jaw and an increased risk of presenting changes suggestive of reduced bone mineral density on panoramic radiographs when compared to liver transplant individuals not using bisphosphonates.

Mucocutaneous histoplasmosis as the first manifestation of AIDS.

Immunosuppressed patients can present with opportunistic infections resulting from an intrinsic systemic disease, which easily evolves into more aggressive and less common conditions. This work reports a clinical case of a female patient with histoplasmosis lesions in the nasal and oral mucosa, including pulmonary, hematological, and hepatic impairment, which led to the diagnosis of HIV seropositivity. In the presence of severe immunosuppression, morbidity is increased due to deep fungal infections and their unusual clinical characteristics can make diagnosis difficult. Therefore, it can be very helpful to recognize these clinical characteristics in order to determine early diagnostic interventions. It is important to recognize mucocutaneous manifestations of histoplasmosis because the biopsy of these lesions, and subsequent histopathological analysis, is one of the quickest, safest, and cheapest methods of diagnosis.

Increased Plasmatic Levels of Exosomes Are Significantly Related to Relapse Rate in Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is characterized by an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Their plasma-derived exosomes deliver immunomodulatory molecules and cargo that correlate significantly with clinical parameters. This study aims to assess the exosomal profile as a potential tool for early detection of relapse and long-term outcomes in OSCC patients undergoing conventional therapy. METHODS: 27 OSCC patients with a median 38-month follow-up were included in this study. The relationship between NTA-derived parameters and clinical pathological parameters was examined, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were utilized to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of these values in detecting cancer relapse. RESULTS: Plasmatic levels of exosomes prior to surgery showed a drastic reduction after surgical intervention (8.08E vs. 1.41 × 109 particles/mL, p = 0.006). Postsurgical concentrations of exosomes were higher in patients who experienced relapse compared to those who remained disease-free (2.97 × 109 vs. 1.11 × 109 particles/mL, p = 0.046). Additionally, patients who relapsed exhibited larger exosome sizes after surgery (141.47 vs. 132.31 nm, p = 0.03). Patients with lower concentrations of exosomes prior to surgery demonstrated better disease-free survival compared to those with higher levels (p = 0.012). ROC analysis revealed an area under the curve of 0.82 for presurgical exosome concentration in identifying relapse. CONCLUSIONS: Presurgical exosomal plasmatic levels serve as independent predictors of early recurrence and survival in OSCC. All in all, our findings indicate that the detection of peripheral exosomes represents a novel tool for the clinical management of OSCC, with potential implications for prognosis assessment.

Bleeding during tooth extraction in patients with chronic kidney disease: A cross-sectional pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: This work measures the intra-operative bleeding in end-stage renal disease patients and assesses whether laboratory coagulation tests and nitrogenous compounds are related to a higher bleeding risk. METHODS: Laboratory tests were performed on the day of surgery and some patients with thrombocytopenia and values above the normal levels of international normalised ratio (INR), thrombin time (TT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) were identified. RESULTS: Haemostatic time ranged from 2 to 35 min (mean of 8.51 min) after suture. Bleeding volume ranged from 0.02 to 67.06 mL (mean of 4.38 mL) and the bleeding volume per minute ranged from 0.05 to 2.10 mL/min (median of 0.6 mL/min). Only seven patients (16.27%) had abnormal bleeding (more than 0.6 mL/min). Spearman's coefficient showed weak correlations between bleeding volume (mL/min) and serum urea (r = 0.226), TT (r = 0.227), plasma urea (r = 0.148) and creatinine (r = 146), as well as very weak correlations with all other variables (r < 0.140) such as age, haemodialysis time, glycaemia, glycated haemoglobin, platelets, INR, aPTT and fibrinogen. CONCLUSION: It was not possible to associate any laboratory test or nitrogenous compounds present in the blood and saliva with an increased bleeding.

Quantification of Torque Teno Virus (TTV) in plasma and saliva of individuals with liver cirrhosis: a cross sectional study.

Introduction: Torque teno virus (TTV) has been pointed as an endogenous marker of immune function, the objective of this study was to investigate the TTV viral load in plasma and saliva of cirrhotic individuals and correlate it with clinical characteristics. Methods: Blood, saliva, clinical data from records and laboratory tests were collected from 72 cirrhotic patients. Plasma and saliva were submitted to real-time polymerase chain reaction for quantification of TTV viral load. Results: The majority of the patients presented decompensated cirrhosis (59.7%) and 47.2% had alterations in the white blood series. TTV was identified in 28 specimens of plasma (38.8%) and in 67 specimens of saliva (93.0%), with median values of TTV copies/mL of 90.6 in plasma and 245.14 in saliva. All the patients who were positive for TTV in plasma were also positive in saliva, with both fluids having a moderately positive correlation for the presence of TTV. There was no correlation between TTV viral load, either in plasma or in saliva, and any of the variables studied. Conclusion: TTV is more frequently found and in greater amount in the saliva than in the plasma of cirrhotic patients. There was no correlation between TTV viral load and clinical parameters.

Epstein-Barr virus oral shedding and viremia and their association with oral hairy leukoplakia in HIV+ individuals.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the oral shedding and viremia of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in HIV-positive patients and their relationship with oral hairy leukoplakia (OHL). METHODOLOGY: A total of 94 HIV-positive patients were included in the study, in which blood and saliva samples were collected for EBV quantification. Data on gender, age, time of HIV seropositivity, combined antiretroviral therapy (cART), CD4+ T-cell counts, and HIV viral load were collected. OHL diagnosis was based on histopathological examination and EBV in situ hybridization. RESULTS: The EBV load in the 94 HIV-positive patients was higher in saliva than in blood (2.4 and 1.6, respectively), and there was a positive correlation between EBV oral shedding and viremia (p = 0.001). Twenty (21.27%) patients had OHL and also a higher EBV load in saliva (mean log10  = 3.11) compared to those who had no OHL (p = 0.045). Presence of OHL was only associated with age (p = 0.030). CONCLUSION: In HIV-positive patients, the presence of OHL was associated with EBV oral shedding but not with viremia, regardless of the amount of circulating CD4+ T cells.

Assessment of mandibular cortical index in patients with hepatic cirrhosis: A case-control study.

AIMS: To assess the presence of alterations suggestive of reduced bone mineral density (BMD) by using mandibular cortical index (MCI) in panoramic radiographs of cirrhotic individuals and to evaluate their relationship with other characteristics of hepatic cirrhosis (HC). METHODS AND RESULTS: This is an observational case-control study assessing the medical records of 165 cirrhotic patients matched by sex and age with healthy individuals. MELD (model of end stage liver disease) score, etiology, complications, comorbidities, and serum levels of vitamin D were collected. MCI was used to obtain BMD. Binary logistic regression was used to test associations and the risk estimates were expressed in odds ratio. Most of the sample consisted of men (73.93%) with median age of 56 years old. In the study group, the mean value of MELD was 16.5 and hepatitis C was the main etiology of HC (33.9%). Cirrhotic individuals are 3.99 times more likely to present alterations suggestive of reduced BMD (p < .01). There was no statistical significance in the association of MCI with levels of vitamin D, comorbidities, etiology or cirrhosis complications. CONCLUSIONS: MCI suggestive of reduced BMD is more likely to be identified in panoramic radiographs of cirrhotic individuals than of healthy ones.

Lack of direct association between oral mucosal lesions and SARS-CoV- 2 in a cohort of patients hospitalised with COVID-19.

Background: COVID-19 is a disease affecting various human organs and systems, in which the virus seeks to interact with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors. These receptors are present in the oral cavity, but the direct relationship between such an interaction and possible oral manifestations of COVID-19 is still unclear. Aim: The present study evaluated oral manifestations in a cohort of COVID-19 patients during the period of hospitalisation. Methods: In total, 154 patients presenting moderate-to-severe forms of COVID-19 had their oral mucosa examined twice a week until the final outcome, either discharge or death. The oral alterations observed in the patients were grouped into Group 1 (pre-existing conditions and opportunistic oral lesions) and Group 2 (oral mucosal changes related to hospitalization). Results: Oral lesions found in the patients of Group 1 are not suggestive of SARS-CoV-2 infection as they are mainly caused by opportunistic infections. On the other hand, oral alterations found in the patients of Group 2 were statistically (P < 0.001) related to intubation and longer period of hospitalisation. Conclusion: It is unlikely that ulcerative lesions in the oral cavity are a direct manifestation of SARS-CoV-2 or a marker of COVID-19 progression.

Nitrogenous compounds in the saliva and blood of cirrhotic patients: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: Serum increase of nitrogenous compounds (NC) in cirrhotic patients has been associated with the development of hepatic encephalopathy (HE). However, the relation between NC in saliva and HE is unclear. The objective of this study is to measure the levels of nitric oxide and urea in the blood and saliva in 38 cirrhotic patients and correlate them with clinical characteristics and presence and grades of HE. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Automated enzymatic colourimetric assays were performed to determine the levels of NC. Diagnosis and severity of HE were determined based on the West Haven criteria and by using the inhibitory control test. RESULTS: HE was diagnosed in 89.47% of the patients, with the majority (60.50%) presenting covert HE. With regard to the measurement of NC, although nitric oxide is moderately correlated with its amount in blood and saliva (r = 0.630; P < 0.001), only salivary levels were associated with the presence of ascites and ecchymosis (P = 0.013 and P = 0.030, respectively). In patients with HE, the serum levels of urea were higher (P = 0.013) than those in patients without HE or minimal HE. CONCLUSIONS: Nitrogenous compounds in the saliva were correlated with neither the presence nor grades of HE, whereas in the blood, only urea was positively correlated with the severity and presence of HE. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Saliva is an excellent fluid for diagnosing several diseases, but it does not seem to be able to collaborate with the identification of HE.

Cytomorphometric Evaluation of Oral Mucosa of Patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a rare genetic disorder in which patients progressive muscle deterioration and low life expectancy. Since DMD has no cure, treatment slows the deterioration process using corticosteroids and other medications, including oral bisphosphonates (BP). These drugs can lead to toxicities in both soft and hard tissues. The objective of this study was to present cytological changes in DMD patients, comparing to young, healthy individuals. Cytological smears were obtained from buccal mucosa from nine DMD patients and five healthy patients. The Papanicolaou technique was used to stain the slides. Images were captured using a photomicroscope, and 50 clearly defined cells were selected. The size and ratio between the nucleus and cytoplasmic areas (NA/CA) diameter were measured using a computer program. All the DMD patients presented a statistical difference (p < 0.0001) in the size of the cytoplasm (0.60 ± 0.33 µm) and the NA/CA ratio (0.17 ± 0.07 µm) was seen when compared to the control group (cytoplasm 0.60 ± 0.15 µm and nucleus 0.14 ± 0.05 µm). Furthermore, in one DMD in use of BP who presented Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (MRONJ), presented higher differences in the cytoplasmic (1.20 ± 0.65 µm) and nuclear (0.20 ± 0.12 µm) sizes (p < 0.0001) compared with all others DMD patients. These results suggest that the drugs used or the systemic condition of individuals with DMD may contribute to these changes.

Assessment of bone metabolism biomarkers in serum and saliva of cirrhotic patients.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the serum and salivary levels of biomarkers related to bone metabolism in cirrhotic patients as well as the evidence of osteoporotic changes on panoramic radiographs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight cirrhotic patients underwent anamnesis and physical examination. Specimens of blood and saliva were collected for evaluation by using Luminex™ xMAP technology to quantify RANKL, OPG, IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α. Panoramic radiographs were evaluated based on the mandibular cortical index (MCI) and the resulting data were compared to the expression of biomarkers in serum and saliva. Descriptive data analysis was performed and the Mann-Whitney's test and Spearman's correlation were used. RESULTS: Most of the sample consisted of males (68.4%) who had cirrhosis mostly resulting from alcoholism (28.9%). Median concentration values of RANKL (74.44 pg/mL), IL-1 ß (45.91 pg/mL), IL-6 (67.69 pg/mL) and TNF-α (5.97 pg/mL) in saliva were higher than those observed in serum. In 72.7% of the panoramic radiographs, MCI was found to be suggestive of osteoporotic changes. No statistically significant correlation was observed between salivary and serum expressions of biomarkers or between biomarkers and MCI. CONCLUSION: RANKL, OPG, IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α are expressed differently in serum and saliva and the concentration of these biomarkers is not related to MCI. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study contributes to the study of the mechanisms of osteoporosis in cirrhotic individuals.

Assessment of laboratory tests and intraoperative bleeding in patients with liver cirrhosis undergoing tooth extractions.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to quantify intraoperative bleeding in patients with cirrhosis and correlate it with clinical characteristics and laboratory coagulation tests. STUDY DESIGN: A case-control study was carried out with 74 patients with cirrhosis who were submitted to preoperative coagulation tests (complete blood count, platelet count, prothrombin time/international normalized ratio, thrombin time, activated partial thrombin time, platelet aggregation, fibrinogen, protein C, protein S, antithrombin, and von Willebrand factor level and activity). The levels of nitrogen compounds that can affect the platelet function were determined in saliva and blood by using automated enzymatic-colorimetric assays. RESULTS: Patients with cirrhosis had changes in almost all coagulation tests. The average volumes of intraoperative bleeding and blood lost per minute in the study group (5.36 mL/min and 0.19 mL/min, respectively) were greater than those in the control group (3.05 mL/min and 0.11 mL/min, respectively; P < .05). In the control group, ascites (P = .012) and presence of periapical lesion (0.034) were positively correlated with bleeding (mL/min). With regard to coagulation tests and nitrogen compounds, only a positively moderate correlation with the platelet aggregation test was observed. CONCLUSIONS: No patients had hemorrhagic events and it was not possible to correlate a greater amount of bleeding with coagulation tests or nitrogen compounds in the study group.

Complications related to dental extractions in patients with chronic kidney failure undergoing hemodialysis: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: To clinically assess socket healing after tooth extraction and the occurrence of intra- and postoperative complications in patients with chronic kidney failure (CKF) receiving hemodialysis (HD) by comparing them with a control group. STUDY DESIGN: This prospective study involved 48 patients with CKF receiving HD (study group [SG]) and 29 participants without CKF (control group [CG]) undergoing tooth extractions. No prophylactic antibiotic was administered to the participants. One calibrated dentist evaluated all individuals at 3, 7, 21, and 60 days after the tooth extractions and assessed hemostasis time, occurrence of local or distant infection, epithelialization, and deposition of alveolar bone. RESULTS: In the SG, 87 teeth were extracted through 65 interventions, and in the CG, 76 teeth were extracted through 36 interventions. Bleeding beyond 30 minutes was observed in 12 interventions (18.5%) in SG participants and was controlled with local hemostatic agents. Neither group had individuals presenting with postoperative infectious complications at the surgical site or at a distance. After 21 days, we observed delayed epithelialization in 29.9% (26 of 87) of the individuals in the SG compared with 3.9% (3 of 37) of those in the CG (P < .001). After 60 days, all the sockets were epithelialized and showing radiographic signs of alveolar bone neoformation. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with CKF receiving hemodialysis tend to heal well after dental extractions. They did not have an increased risk of infectious complications after simple tooth extractions, but they showed prolonged bleeding events more often than control subjects. Additional research studies using larger sample sizes of patients with CKF receiving hemodialysis are needed to confirm our findings.

Immunohistochemical Characterization of Bcl-2 in Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders.

Bcl-2 is a group of apoptotic proteins that play a key role in cellular homeostasis. Overexpression of Bcl-2 has been associated with the poor prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The aim of this study is to analyze the immunohistochemical expression of Bcl-2 in healthy oral mucosa, different oral potentially malignant disorders and OSCC, and to determine its diagnostic value. A retrospective observational study was carried out in the Oral Medicine Unit of the University of Santiago de Compostela. All the clinicopathologic data were collected and paraffin-embedded blocks were available to perform the immunohistochemistry study with Bcl-2. We studied 18 fibromas, 15 OSCC, 29 oral leukoplakia lesions (OL), 59 oral lichen planus (OLP) cases, and 16 healthy controls. OL with epithelial dysplasia (31.2%) showed the highest expression of Bcl-2 and OLP (1.9%) showed the lowest expression of Bcl-2 (P=0.025). Receiver operating characteristics curves showed that the detection of Bcl-2 enables discrimination between OL and OLPs (sensitivity: 58.6%, specificity of 99.32%). Bcl-2 negative expression in the OLP diagnosis obtained an odds ratio of 13.750 (95% confidence interval: 3.354-56.369; P<0.0001) and the positive expression in the OL 4.468 (95% confidence interval: 1.889-10.565; P=0.001). Bcl-2 could be used as a diagnostic biomarker to study their malignant transformation.

Therapeutic alternatives in the management of osteoradionecrosis of the jaws. Systematic review / Alternativas terapéuticas en el manejo de osteorradionecrosis de los maxilares. Revisión sistemática

Background: to systematically review the literature, comparing the healing of osteoradionecrosis (ORN) amongthe therapeutic alternatives: surgical, pharmacological and combined.Material and Methods: The review was organized according to the PRISMA protocol with regards to the fol-lowing PICO question: patients with ORN of the jaws (P=Patient); all interventions reported (I = intervention);between all therapies (C=Comparison); healing of lesions (O=outcome).Results: Surgical treatment was the most common choice (46.3%) followed by pharmacological treatment, exclu-sively (25.9%) or combined (26.9%). Treatment exclusively by surgical intervention seems to be most effectiveoption, with 51.2% of the lesions healed, OR for healing of 5.7 (CI95% 1.9-16.9, p=0.002). Only 1 case (0.9%) cor-responded to low level laser therapy.Conclusions: It seems clear that early intervention with conservative surgical combined with pharmacologicalmethods improves the prognosis of ORN.(AU)

Risk of bleeding during oral surgery in patients with liver cirrhosis: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The liver is responsible for the production of almost all coagulation factors, but does this indicate a risk of developing unusual bleeding in patients with liver cirrhosis during dental surgery? TYPES OF STUDIES REVIEWED: In this systemic review, the authors followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist and performed a search of PubMed, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane databases. RESULTS: Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. The sample sizes ranged from 23 through 318 participants, number of extracted teeth ranged from 62 through 1,183, platelet count ranged from 16,000 through 216,000 per cubic milimeter, and the international normalized ratio was less than 4. The prevalence of hemorrhagic events in the studies ranged from 0% through 8.9%, and almost all were controlled with local hemostatic measures. CONCLUSIONS AND PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: During dental treatment, patients with liver cirrhosis have a low bleeding risk in spite of the decreased number of platelets and increased international normalized ratio.