Non-dispersive sensing scheme based on mid-infrared LED and differential mode excitation photoacoustic spectroscopy.

A robust and simple sensing scheme utilizing a Mid-Infrared Light Emitting Diode (MIR-LED) and based on Differential Mode Excitation Photoacoustic (DME-PA) spectroscopy is presented. A MIR-LED light source in combination with optical correlation is used for simplicity and compactness. The sensing setup takes advantage of the non-linearity in the excitation of various acoustic modes in a cylindrical resonant photoacoustic cell to provide a high selectivity. The sensing device is tested using methane and hydrocarbon mixtures (propane, butane). The obtained limit of detection for methane is 25 ppm m-1. Using the presented DME-PA scheme, the derived gas concentration is hardly affected neither by intensity fluctuations of the light source nor by any microphone or electronics drifts. Furthermore, a considerably improved selectivity is obtained compared to conventional Non-Dispersive Infrared (NDIR) techniques.

A tough act to follow: collagen hydrogel modifications to improve mechanical and growth factor loading capabilities.

Collagen hydrogels are among â€‹the most well-studied platforms for drug delivery and in situ tissue engineering, thanks to their low cost, low immunogenicity, versatility, biocompatibility, and similarity to the natural extracellular matrix (ECM). Despite collagen being largely responsible for the tensile properties of native connective tissues, collagen hydrogels have relatively low mechanical properties in the absence of covalent cross-linking. This is particularly problematic when attempting to regenerate stiffer and stronger native tissues such as bone. Furthermore, in contrast to hydrogels based on ECM proteins such as fibronectin, collagen hydrogels do not have any growth factor (GF)-specific binding sites and often cannot sequester physiological (small) amounts of the protein. GF binding and in situ presentation are properties that can aid significantly in the tissue regeneration process by dictating cell fate without causing adverse effects such as malignant tumorigenic tissue growth. To alleviate these issues, researchers have developed several strategies to increase the mechanical properties of collagen hydrogels using physical or chemical modifications. This can expand the applicability of collagen hydrogels to tissues subject to a continuous load. GF delivery has also been explored, mathematically and experimentally, through the development of direct loading, chemical cross-linking, electrostatic interaction, and other carrier systems. This comprehensive article explores the ways in which these parameters, mechanical properties and GF delivery, have been optimized in collagen hydrogel systems â€‹and examines their in vitro or in vivo biological effect. This article can, therefore, be a useful tool to streamline future studies in the field, by pointing researchers into the appropriate direction according to their collagen hydrogel design requirements.

Clinicopathological features of peripheral ossifying fibroma in a series of 41 patients.

Peripheral ossifying fibromas are benign mesenchymal lesions that usually arise in the anterior maxilla of young female patients. Histologically they consist of spindle cell proliferation with focal mineralisation. We reviewed 48 specimens from 41 patients and recorded the clinical data, sex, and age of the patients, site and size of the lesions, treatment, and postoperative outcome. Histologically the presence of mature, woven bone, cementum, and calcifications were evaluated and evaluated immunohistochemically. Lesions were more frequent in female patients in the third and fourth decade, and were usually in the lower maxilla and smaller than 2cm. All lesions were conservatively excised, and they relapsed in eight patients. Histopathologically, the lesions were poorly circumscribed, moderately cellular proliferations, with no discernible architectural pattern. All tumours showed some degree of mineralisation, the presence of immature bone being the most common. Immunohistochemical examination showed staining of tumoural cells for smooth muscle actin and CD68. Lesions tended to occur more commonly in female patients, but one decade later than usually reported. We found a higher recurrence rate in lesions that contained cementum-like material but without bone formation, suggesting a lack of maturation in this group. Immunohistochemical results were consistent with myofibroblastic differentiation but they added no information about the behaviour of the lesions.

Switching to abacavir versus use of a nucleoside-sparing dual regimen for HIV-infected patients with tenofovir-associated renal toxicity.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the reversibility of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)-associated renal decline and tubular dysfunction using different antiretroviral strategies. METHODS: A successive evaluation of renal [estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)] and tubular (phosphataemia, proteinuria, albuminuria, phosphaturia, uricosuria, glycosuria and tubular proteinuria) parameters was performed in 231 patients, before and after switching from TDF to abacavir (n = 60), using dual therapy (n = 49), or continuing the same regimen including TDF (n = 122). RESULTS: In a successive evaluation after a median of 8.86 months, or less time if treatment was switched (4.8 months vs. 13.3 months to second evaluation; P < 0.01), a significant improvement in eGFR (median change +0.3 vs. -2.91 mL/min/1.73 m2 in patients who did not discontinue TDF; P = 0.04) and tubular dysfunction (median change -40% vs. +30%, respectively; P < 0.01) was observed. Lineal regression showed that age (ß = -0.14; P = 0.04), previous eGFR decline (ß = -0.42; P < 0.01), and time on TDF (ß = -0.19; P = 0.04) were associated with impaired eGFR recovery. There were no differences in eGFR slopes between patients using abacavir instead of TDF and those using a dual therapy, who showed similar improvement in proteinuria (-22% vs. -19%, respectively), phosphaturia (+10.1% vs. +9.4%, respectively), and urinary beta-2-microglobulin (-9% vs. -15%, respectively; P > 0.1 for all), although patients receiving the dual regimen were more heavily pretreated. A eGFR decrease (-6.17 mL/min/1.73 m2 ) was observed in patients taking dolutegravir or rilpivirine, but with similar improvement to that observed in the rest of switching patients in tubular abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS: Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate discontinuation was associated with a rapid and significant improvement in eGFR and tubular abnormalities, regardless of whether abacavir or dual therapy was chosen. Switching to a regimen that included dolutegravir and/or rilpivirine was associated with a eGFR decrease without differences in the rate of tubular dysfunction improvement in comparison with the rest of patients who discontinued tenofovir.

An approach to an acute emotional stress reference scale. / Aproximacion a una escala de referencia de estres emocional agudo.

INTRODUCTION: The clinical diagnosis aims to identify the degree of affectation of the psycho-physical state of the patient as a guide to therapeutic intervention. In stress, the lack of a measurement tool based on a reference makes it difficult to quantitatively assess this degree of affectation. AIM: To define and perform a primary assessment of a standard reference in order to measure acute emotional stress from the markers identified as indicators of the degree. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Psychometric tests and biochemical variables are, in general, the most accepted stress measurements by the scientific community. Each one of them probably responds to different and complementary processes related to the reaction to a stress stimulus. The reference that is proposed is a weighted mean of these indicators by assigning them relative weights in accordance with a principal components analysis. RESULTS: An experimental study was conducted on 40 healthy young people subjected to the psychosocial stress stimulus of the Trier Social Stress Test in order to perform a primary assessment and consistency check of the proposed reference. The proposed scale clearly differentiates between the induced relax and stress states. CONCLUSIONS: Accepting the subjectivity of the definition and the lack of a subsequent validation with new experimental data, the proposed standard differentiates between a relax state and an emotional stress state triggered by a moderate stress stimulus, as it is the Trier Social Stress Test. The scale is robust. Although the variations in the percentage composition slightly affect the score, but they do not affect the valid differentiation between states.

TITLE: Aproximacion a una escala de referencia de estres emocional agudo.Introduccion. El diagnostico clinico persigue identificar el grado de afectacion del estado psicofisico del paciente como orientacion hacia la intervencion terapeutica. En el estres, la falta de un instrumento de medicion por comparacion con una referencia dificulta la valoracion cuantitativa del nivel de afectacion. Objetivo. Definir y hacer una primera validacion de un patron de referencia para la medida del estres emocional agudo a partir de marcadores identificados como indicadores del nivel. Sujetos y metodos. En general, las medidas mas solidas y aceptadas de estres por la comunidad cientifica son los test psicometricos y las variables bioquimicas. Cada uno de ellos responde probablemente a procesos distintos y complementarios de la reaccion frente a un estimulo estresante. La referencia que se propone es una media ponderada de estos indicadores, asignandoles pesos relativos de acuerdo con un analisis de componentes principales. Resultados. Para una primera aproximacion y verificacion de coherencia de la referencia propuesta, se ha utilizado un estudio experimental con una muestra de 40 jovenes sanos sometidos al estimulo estresante psicosocial del Trier Social Stress Test. La escala propuesta diferencia netamente entre los dos estados con distintos niveles de estres inducido. Conclusiones. Aceptando la subjetividad de la definicion, y a falta de una validacion posterior con nuevos datos experimentales, el patron propuesto diferencia entre un estado de relax y uno de estres emocional generados con un estimulo estresante moderado, como es el Trier Social Stress Test. La escala es robusta, ya que variaciones en la composicion porcentual repercuten ligeramente en la puntuacion, pero no en la diferenciacion valida entre estados.

Expression of CA IX in dysplasia adjacent to surgical resection margins of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) IX is a hypoxia marker located almost exclusively in tumor cells. We analyzed the expression of this marker in dysplastic lesions adjacent to the surgical resection margin in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. We investigated 70 archived tumors, 36 of which showed dysplasia adjacent to the surgical margin. We used tissue microarray technology to perform an immunohistochemical study of CA IX expression. We found 12 (33.3%) cases of mild dysplasia (10 negative, 2 positive for CA IX), five (13.9%) cases of moderate dysplasia (3 negative, 2 positive for CA IX), 1 (2.8%) case of severe dysplasia (negative for CA IX) and 18 (50%) cases of carcinoma in situ (10 negative, 8 positive for CA IX). In cases of intense expression of CA IX in the tumor, the same distribution of positive and negative cases was observed in all degrees of dysplasia (mild, moderate, severe), although cases of carcinoma in situ tended to be CA IX positive.

BCL10 expression is unrelated to clinico-pathological parameters or prognoses for oral squamous cell carcinomas.

BCL-10 (B-cell lymphoma 10) has been linked to a pro-apoptotic gene in mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphomas. We describe the expression of BCL10 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and its relation to clinical, pathological and prognostic parameters. We carried out a retrospective study of 50 patients in Spain who were diagnosed with OSCC. We constructed a tissue microarray of the samples to study the expression of BCL10 using immunohistochemistry. Diffuse and homogeneous staining was observed in the nuclei and cytoplasms of most neoplastic cells of the vast majority of tumors and no significant differences were seen in different areas of the tumors. The expression was unrelated to any clinical or pathological parameters including tumor stage. The intra-class coefficient was 0.97, which indicates the minimal variability among the determinations.

An update in the structure, function, and regulation of V-ATPases: the role of the C subunit.

Vacuolar ATPases (V-ATPases) are present in specialized proton secretory cells in which they pump protons across the membranes of various intracellular organelles and across the plasma membrane. The proton transport mechanism is electrogenic and establishes an acidic pH and a positive transmembrane potential in these intracellular and extracellular compartments. V-ATPases have been found to be practically identical in terms of the composition of their subunits in all eukaryotic cells. They have two distinct structures: a peripheral catalytic sector (V1) and a hydrophobic membrane sector (V0) responsible for driving protons. V-ATPase activity is regulated by three different mechanisms, which control pump density, association/dissociation of the V1 and V0 domains, and secretory activity. The C subunit is a 40-kDa protein located in the V1 domain of V-ATPase. The protein is encoded by the ATP6V1C gene and is located at position 22 of the long arm of chromosome 8 (8q22.3). The C subunit has very important functions in terms of controlling the regulation of the reversible dissociation of V-ATPases.

El cálculo de la creatinina sérica basal sobrestima el diagnóstico de alteración renal aguda en pacientes operados de cirugía cardíaca / The calculation of baseline serum creatinine overestimates the diagnosis of acute kidney injury in patients undergoing cardiac surgery

Introducción y objetivo: La definición y clasificación actual de insuficiencia renal aguda se basa en criterios de consenso (sistemas RIFLE y AKIN). De los parámetros recomendados (creatinina, tasa de filtración glomerular y diuresis), la creatinina es el más empleado. En ausencia de valor basal conocido se recomienda su estimación a partir de la ecuación MDRD simplificada, asumiendo en el cálculo una tasa de filtración de 75 ml/min/1,73 m2. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue evaluar la repercusión diagnóstica del empleo de la creatinina basal estimada frente al valor real medido en pacientes operados de cirugía cardíaca. Métodos: Análisis de pacientes operados de cirugía cardíaca mayor incluidos de forma prospectiva en una base de datos. Para cada paciente se calculó el estadio RIFLE máximo alcanzado usando la creatinina basal medida y la estimada. Se analizó la repercusión sobre el diagnóstico mediante coeficientes de correlación intraclase, análisis de concordancia y gráficas de Bland y Altman. Resultados: La incidencia de insuficiencia renal aguda postoperatoria en 2.103 casos operados entre 2002 y 2007 fue del 29,1% al utilizar la creatinina estimada (14,3% con la medida). Esto supone una sobrestimación del 104%, y la correlación intraclase es de 0,12. Excluyendo a los pacientes con insuficiencia renal crónica conocida (tasa de filtrado glomerular [TFG] <60 ml/min/1,73 m2), tanto la sobrestimación (2,4%) como la correlación (0,57) mejoraron. Conclusiones: El cálculo de la creatinina basal a partir de la ecuación MDRD sobrestima la incidencia de insuficiencia renal aguda tras la cirugía cardíaca, y es un método inadecuado para su detección cuando el valor basal se desconoce (AU)

Introduction and objectives: The current definition and classification of acute kidney injury is based on consensus criteria (RIFLE and AKIN systems). Creatinine is the most commonly used of the recommended parameters (creatinine, glomerular filtration rate and diuresis). If the baseline value is not known, it can be calculated based on the simplified MDRD equation, assuming a filtration rate of 75ml/min/1.73m2 for the calculation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic impact of using estimated baseline creatinine compared to the actual value measured in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Methods: Analysis of patients undergoing major cardiac surgery, who were prospectively included in a database. The maximum RIFLE stage reached was calculated for each patient using the measured and estimated baseline creatinine levels. The impact on the diagnosis was analysed using intraclass correlation coefficients, concordance analysis and Bland-Altman plots. Results: The incidence of postoperative acute kidney injury in 2103 cases between 2002 and 2007 was 29.1%, according to estimated creatinine (14.3% with the measure). This represents an overestimation of 104%, with an intraclass correlation of 0.12. By excluding patients with known chronic kidney disease (glomerular filtration rate [<60ml/min/1.73m2), both the overestimation (2.4%) and the correlation (0.57) improved. Conclusions: The calculation of baseline creatinine using the MDRD equation overestimates the incidence of acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery, and is an inadequate method for detection when the baseline value is unknown (AU)

The calculation of baseline serum creatinine overestimates the diagnosis of acute kidney injury in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The current definition and classification of acute kidney injury is based on consensus criteria (RIFLE and AKIN systems). Creatinine is the most commonly used of the recommended parameters (creatinine, glomerular filtration rate and diuresis). If the baseline value is not known, it can be calculated based on the simplified MDRD equation, assuming a filtration rate of 75 ml/min/1.73 m2 for the calculation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic impact of using estimated baseline creatinine compared to the actual value measured in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. METHODS: Analysis of patients undergoing major cardiac surgery, who were prospectively included in a database. The maximum RIFLE stage reached was calculated for each patient using the measured and estimated baseline creatinine levels. The impact on the diagnosis was analysed using intraclass correlation coefficients, concordance analysis and Bland-Altman plots. RESULTS: The incidence of postoperative acute kidney injury in 2103 cases between 2002 and 2007 was 29.1%, according to estimated creatinine (14.3% with the measure). This represents an overestimation of 104%, with an intraclass correlation of 0.12. By excluding patients with known chronic kidney disease (glomerular filtration rate [<60 ml/min/1.73 m2), both the overestimation (2.4%) and the correlation (0.57) improved. CONCLUSIONS: The calculation of baseline creatinine using the MDRD equation overestimates the incidence of acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery, and is an inadequate method for detection when the baseline value is unknown.

Activity of ß2-adrenergic receptor in oral squamous cell carcinoma is mediated by overexpression of the ADRBK2 gene: a pilot study.

The ß2-adrenergic receptor is most frequently involved in carcinogenic processes. Earlier studies have established a relation between the ß2-adrenergic receptor and various characteristics of cancer including cell proliferation, apoptosis, chemotaxis, metastasis, tumor growth and angiogenesis. Our goal was to determine differential expression of the genes involved in adrenergic receptors using DNA microarrays and to confirm their under- or overexpression using real-time quantitative PCR. Five of the nine genes investigated showed significantly altered expression levels in tumor cells (p < 0.05). The gene product with the highest Z-score (restrictive statistical technique for selection of appropriate genes to study) was ADRBK2. Significantly, most of the overexpressed genes were related to ß-adrenergic receptors. Real-time PCR analysis confirmed the up regulation observed in the microarrays, which indicated overexpression in 100% of the tumors. In oral squamous cell carcinomas, malignant cells and surrounding tissue overexpress the ADRBK2 gene.

Comparison of three sampling instruments, Cytobrush, Curette and OralCDx, for liquid-based cytology of the oral mucosa.

Exfoliative cytology of the oral cavity is a simple and noninvasive technique that permits the study of epithelial cells. Liquid-based cytology is an auxiliary diagnostic tool for improving the specificity and sensitivity of conventional cytology. The objective of our study was to compare the quality of normal oral mucosa cytology samples obtained using three different instruments, Cytobrush®, dermatological curette and Oral CDx® for liquid-based cytology. One hundred four cytological samples of oral cavity were analyzed. Samples were obtained from healthy volunteer subjects using all three instruments. The clinical and demographic variables were age, sex and smoking habits. We analyzed cellularity, quality of the preparation and types of cells in the samples. All preparations showed appropriate preparation quality. In all smears analyzed, cells were distributed uniformly and showed no mucus, bleeding, inflammatory exudate or artifacts. We found no correlation between the average number of cells and the type of instrument. The samples generally consisted of two types of cells: superficial and intermediate. No differences were found among the cytological preparations of these three instruments. We did not observe basal cells in any of the samples analyzed.

Non-computer-assisted liquid-based cytology for diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

The development of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) occasionally follows the neoplastic progression of other premalignant lesions. Although biopsy is the definitive diagnostic method, liquid-based cytology is an adequate method for screening suspicious lesions. We compared liquid-based cytology to histology for diagnosis of OSCC in patients with oral lesions that raised clinical suspicion of malignancy. Our sample consisted of 48 patients. Cytological samples were obtained by scraping the lesion superficially using Cytobrush®. We conducted cytological and histopathological evaluation of all preparations. We estimated sensitivity and specificity levels as well as positive and negative predictive values. The degree of inter-observer agreement for both methods was assessed using the kappa index. Twenty-eight (58.3%) of the cases finally were diagnosed with OSCC and 20 (41.7%) were determined to be premalignant lesions. We observed eight false negatives and no false positives; OSCC prevalence was 56.5%. The values for diagnostic indices were: sensitivity, 69% (CI 95%, prevalence 51.87); specificity, 100%; positive predictive value, 100%; negative predictive value, 71% (CI 95% 54.82). A kappa index of 0.622 (CI 95% 0.93, 0.39) was observed.

Immunohistochemical localization of C1 subunit of V-ATPase (ATPase C1) in oral squamous cell cancer and normal oral mucosa.

The ATP6V1C1 gene encodes the C1 subunit of the vacuolar-ATPase (V-ATPase) proton pump. This gene is over-expressed in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) as determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The aim of our study was to perform an immunohistochemical study of the distribution of the C1 subunit in normal epithelium of the oral cavity and in OSCC. We analyzed the expression of the C1 subunit in eight OSCC samples and two normal oral mucosa samples using polyclonal V-ATPase C1 antibody (clone H-300). In the normal oral mucosa samples, C1 subunit staining was observed in the basal and intermediate layers of the epithelium. No staining was visible in the keratinized superficial layers. More intense staining was observed in the OSCC samples, with the predominant expression at the periphery of tumor nests and absence of expression in dyskeratotic areas. C1 subunit expression in tumor cells was predominantly cytoplasmic, although there was perinuclear and nuclear expression in some samples. These findings demonstrate that V-ATPase is necessary for proper epithelial functioning and show its importance in the development of OSCC as evidenced by the over-expression of ATP6V1C1 in OSCC.

Comparison of the Cytobrush®, dermatological curette and oral CDx® brush test as methods for obtaining samples of RNA for molecular analysis of oral cytology.

OBJECTIVE: Interest in oral exfoliative cytology has increased with the availability of molecular markers that may lead to the earlier diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma. This research aims to compare the efficacy of three different instruments (Cytobrush, curette and Oral CDx brush) in providing adequate material for molecular analysis. METHODS: One hundred and four cytological samples obtained from volunteer healthy subjects were analysed using all three instruments. The clinical and demographical variables under study were age, sex and smoking habits. The three instruments were compared for their ability to obtain adequate samples and for the amount of RNA obtained using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR-qRT) analysis of the Abelson (ABL) housekeeping gene. RESULTS: RNA of the ABL gene has been quantified by number of copies. Adequate samples were more likely to be obtained with a curette (90.6%) or Oral CDx (80.0%) than a Cytobrush (48.6%); P < 0.001. Similarly, the RNA quantification was 17.64 ± 21.10 with a curette, 16.04 ± 15.81 with Oral CDx and 6.82 ± 6.71 with a Cytobrush. There were statistically significant differences between the Cytobrush and curette (P = 0.008) and between the Cytobrush and OralCDx (P = 0.034). There was no difference according to the demographical variables. CONCLUSIONS: Oral exfoliative cytology is a simple, non-invasive technique that provides sufficient RNA to perform studies on gene expression. Although material was obtained with all three instruments, adequate samples were more likely to be obtained with the curette or Oral CDx than with a Cytobrush. The Oral CDx is a less aggressive instrument than the curette, so could be a useful tool in a clinical setting.

New photoacoustic cell design for studying aqueous solutions and gels.

A new photoacoustic (PA) cell design, which is particularly suitable for investigations of liquids, gels, and outgassing samples is presented. The setup is based on a PA cell of only 78.5 mm(3) volume, which is sealed on the sample side with either a 163 µm thick chemical vapor deposition diamond window or a 3.91 µm thin diamond membrane. This design offers great advantages compared to traditionally used open-ended PA cells especially when investigating volatile compounds. The new PA cell design is particularly interesting in the studies of biological samples characterized by a high water content. The performance was demonstrated with mid-infrared PA measurements of glucose in aqueous solutions using a tunable quantum-cascade laser as a light source. A detection limit of 100 mg/dl (SNR = 3) has been achieved. Furthermore, the spectral changes of glucose dissolved in water caused by mutorotation have been monitored time-resolved.

Cardiovascular risk factors after liver transplantation: analysis of related factors.

AIMS: We sought to analyze the cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) in liver transplantation and their relation to immunosuppression and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included all 158 liver transplants performed between January 2005 and December 2008 that had a minimum follow-up of 1 year. There were 104 men (64%) and 54 women (36%). Data were recorded on both the pretransplant prevalence as well as new cases of diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, and hyperuricemia, defined by the need for drug therapy, after a mean follow-up period of 38 months (range, 12-64). We also examined the influence on CVRF of immunosuppression and HCV. RESULTS: Tacrolimus was prescribed for 61% of the patients and cyclosporine, 39%. Upon univariate analysis only hypertension was significantly associated with the use of cyclosporine (P < .03). There was a trend to a greater incidence of hypercholesterolemia with cyclosporine (P = .1) and DM with tacrolimus (P = .1). The presence of HCV was significantly associated with a greater incidence of de novo DM (P < .01), as was a severe relapse of hepatitis C (P < .03). Multivariate analysis showed a 4.4 times greater risk for developing de novo DM among patients with a severe relapse of HCV. CONCLUSION: The development of CVRF after liver transplantation was manifested, mainly during the first 3 months posttransplantation. Special attention should be given to the risk for de novo DM among HCV positive patients.

Histopathological findings in oral lichen planus and their correlation with the clinical manifestations.

OBJECTIVES: To highlight the most characteristic histopathological findings of oral lichen planus and their correlation with the clinical manifestations and forms. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a retrospective study of 50 biopsied and diagnosed cases of oral lichen planus obtained over a period of 11 years, spanning from May 1998 to April 2009. We analyzed the age and sex of the patient, type of lichen planus, location and different histopathological findings, comparing them with the clinical lesions. RESULTS: Seventy eight percent of the patients are female and 22% are male, with an average age of 56.06 years for both sexes. The most frequent clinical form is reticular, present in 78% of the cases, and the most common location is the buccal mucosa, present in 70% of the patients. Hydropic degeneration of the basal layer and lymphocytic infiltration in the subepithelial layer are observed in the entire sample. Signs of atypia were identified in 4% of the cases, but without dysplasic features. Other common histological findings were the presence of necrotic keratinocytes (92%), hyperplasia (54%), hyperkeratosis (66%), acanthosis (48%), and less frequently, serrated ridges (30%) and the presence plasma cells (26%). CONCLUSIONS: Oral lichen planus is a disease that is more common in women, usually appearing in the fifth and sixth decades of life. The most common clinical form is reticular, manifesting mainly in the buccal mucosa. Histological findings characteristic of oral lichen planus include hydropic degeneration of the basal layer, lymphocytic infiltration in the subepithelial layer and the absence of epithelial dysplasia; however, it is also frequent to observe hyperplasia phenomena at the epithelial level, hyperkeratosis, acanthosis and the presence of necrotic keratinocytes.

Efficacy and safety of entecavir and/or tenofovir for prophylaxis and treatment of hepatitis B recurrence post-liver transplant.

AIMS: To establish the efficacy and safety of entecavir (ETV) and/or tenofovir (TDF) in the treatment and prevention of hepatitis B virus (HBV) recurrence after liver transplantation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eight patients (four men) received treatment with ETV and/or TDF after liver transplantation as prophylaxis for HBV recurrence or as posttransplant treatment of HBV. Four liver transplants were in patients with HBV-associated cirrhosis who had received prior nucleos(t)ide analogue treatment until HBV DNA became undetectable. After transplantation, two of these four were treated with ETV + TDF and the other two with just TDF. All received intramuscular hepatitis B immunoglobulins. The reasons for the other four liver transplants were primary biliary cirrhosis in two cases, alcoholic cirrhosis, and hepatitis C virus. Two of the patients were donor anti-HBcAb-positive/recipient anti-HBcAb-negative. They received no anti-HBV prophylaxis so they had a recurrence of HBV. These four patients required treatment with ETV+TDF for the HBV DNA to become negative. RESULTS: The mean age was 60 (39-67) years. The mean follow-up was 9.5 (3-20) months. The mean follow-up of the patients who received prophylaxis was 8.2 (3-19) months. These had no HBV recurrence. The mean follow-up of the patients who received treatment for HBV recurrence was 12 (3-19) months. ETV combined with TDF was necessary for the HBV DNA to become undetectable because this was not possible using different nucleos(t)ide analogues. There were no significant adverse effects from these drugs and no alteration of renal function during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: Therapy with ETV and/or TDF seems to be efficient and safe when used in the prophylaxis and treatment of HBV recurrence after liver transplantation. They are well tolerated and seem to have no interactions with immunosuppressive medication.