Oral and Maxillofacial Lesions Diagnosed in Older People of a Brazilian Population: A Multicentric Study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of oral and maxillofacial lesions among older adults (≥60 years) from representative regions in Brazil. DESIGN: Retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study. SETTING: Biopsy records were obtained from the archives of four Brazilian referral centers of oral diagnosis between 2000 and 2016. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 45,506 biopsy records of all patients were analyzed, of these 7,259 persons aged 60 and older were selected. MEASUREMENTS: Data such as gender, age, race, anatomical location, and histopathological diagnosis were collected and categorized. Pearson's chi-square test (P < .005) was used to evaluate differences in the frequency of the several groups of oral lesions. RESULTS: Oral and maxillofacial lesions were diagnosed in 7,259 older people, including 59.4% women (P < .001) and 61.3% white patients (P = .07). The most commonly affected sites were the cheek mucosa (20.3%) and mandible (8.9%) (P < .001). Reactive and inflammatory lesions were the most common lesions, followed by neoplasms. Oral squamous cell carcinoma was the most prevalent neoplasm (83.4%) (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Knowledge of oral diseases obtained from biopsy records provides more accurate data about the diagnosis and oral health of elderly patients. These indicators thus support the development of specific health policies for the prevention and treatment of oral and maxillofacial lesions that affect this population.

Glycomic profile of the human parotid gland between 18th and 26th week of fetal development.

The formation of new and functional structural components of several organs, such as parotid glands, can be influenced by the glycocode. This study analyzed the glycobiology of parotid salivary gland tissue during fetal development using specific biochemical probes (lectins and antibodies). Eleven parotid gland samples from human fetuses were obtained from spontaneous abortions at 14-28 weeks of gestation, and tissue sections were analyzed for lectin histochemistry and immunohistochemistry. From the 18th to 26th week, Canavalia ensiformis agglutinin, wheat germ agglutinin, Ulex europaeus agglutinin-I, peanut agglutinin, Sambucus nigra agglutinin, and Vicia villosa agglutinin lectin staining were predominantly observed in the apical and/or basement membranes of the ducts and tubulo-acinar units. Moreover, the presence of galectin-1 was found in the membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus of both structures. Conversely, Gal-3 and mucin-1 were restricted to the glandular ducts. The lectin staining pattern changed during the weeks evaluated. Nevertheless, the carbohydrate subcellular localization represented a key factor in the investigation of structural distribution profiles and possible roles of these glycans in initial parotid gland development. These findings are defined by their high biological value and provide an important base for the development of subsequent studies. (J Oral Sci 58, 353-360, 2016).