Microwaves: a revolution in histoprocessing.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Pathologists are under constant pressure for instant and reliable diagnosis. The manual procedures employed in private laboratories and institutional setup for histoprocessing and staining are laborious and intense. Thus, this study aims to evaluate and compare the microwave tissue processing and staining with the conventional methods which are in vogue. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of the formalin fixed tissue biopsies received by our department, 30 specimens were randomly picked and subjected to grossing. Each specimen was cut into equal halves, each half was processed and stained by conventional method while the other by the microwave method. The entire procedure was blinded and evaluated by four observers based on the criteria of Mahesh Babu et al (2011): Cellular clarity, cyto-plasmic details, nuclear detail and color intensity. The results were statistically analyzed using Chi square test and kappa. RESULTS: The overall time employed for microwave processing was 2 hours and for conventional methods it was 7 hours, while H and E staining by microwave process took 16 minutes and 45 seconds and it took 31 minutes and 20 seconds by the conventional process. The diagnostic ability of microwave method yielded promising results and was less time consuming. CONCLUSION: Microwave processing and staining yielded quicker and better results compared to the routine methods. Therefore, Microwave can serve as a quicker and a reliable diagnostic method for a pathologist.

Metastatic tumors of the oral cavity.

The pivotal reason for morbidity and mortality of any type of cancer is due to metastasis that occurs as a result of adaptation of genetically unstable cancer cells, in an ectopic conducive environment. Oral metastasis in spite of being unusual or rare represents around 25% of the first signs of metastatic spread. Literature says there are more number of cases of jaw bone metastasis reported than in the oral soft tissues. The most common primary organs metastasizing to the jaw bones and the oral soft tissues are the breast and the lungs respectively. The issue in diagnosing a metastatic tumor arises either when the patient does not reveal the history of the primary illness he or she may be suffering from or when he or she is unaware of it. Diagnosis in such situations is a challenge to the clinician or pathologist. Diagnosing any lymph node or distant metastasis from oral cancer is very important for the prognosis of the patient. In this review we have made an attempt, to explain some recent concepts of pathophysiology of the metastatic process, the clinical manifestations of metastatic tumors to the oral region and to discuss their diagnostic workup.

The ambiguous salivary myoepithelial cells.

Salivary gland neoplasms present with a diverse histological pattern which is mainly because of the presence of specialized myoepithelial cells (MECs). These are contractile epithelial cells with smooth muscle like properties. They have been also noticed in mammary glands, lacrimal glands, prostate gland, and the sweat glands and have varied functions. MECs play an important role in the histogenesis of many salivary gland tumors. Knowledge of MECs leads to a better understanding of the histological diversity of salivary gland neoplasms. This article reviews the physiology, histology, identification and role of these cells in salivary gland pathology.

Microbial flora in oral diseases.

The oral cavity being the hub of gamut of microbes, promotes the establishment of distinct microbial communities, such as on the mucosa and teeth. Metabolism of these organisms facilitates the attachment and growth of the subsequent colonisers. A delicate balance is maintained in the microbial ecosystem, with these organisms contributing to normal development and defences. However, any change or disruption in the microbial profile due to either intrinsic or extrinsic factors can result in an unfavorable shift toward pathogenic organisms triggering various diseases like dental caries or periodontitis. Furthermore, recent findings also state that these microorganisms may lead to systemic diseases like diabetes or atherosclerosis. This article is an attempt to give an overview of the altered flora in diseased states.

Identification of Kaempferol as Viral Entry Inhibitor and DL-Arginine as Viral Replication Inhibitor from Selected Plants of Indian Traditional Medicine against COVID-19: An in silico Guided in vitro Approach.

BACKGROUND: Indian traditional medicinal plants are known for their great potential in combating viral diseases. Previously, we reported a systematic review approach of seven plausible traditional Indian medicinal plants against SARS-CoV-2. METHODS: Molecular docking was conducted with Biovia Discovery Studio. Three binding domains for spike glycoprotein (PDB IDs: 6LZG, 6M17, 6M0J) and one binding domain of RdRp (PDB ID: 7BTF) were used. Among 100 phytoconstituents listed from seven plants by the IMPPAT database used for virtual screening, the best six compounds were again filtered using Swiss ADME prediction and Lipinski's rule. Additionally, a pseudovirion assay was performed to study the interaction of SARS-CoV-2 S1-protein with the ACE 2 receptor to further confirm the effect. RESULTS: Chebulagic acid (52.06 Kcal/mol) and kaempferol (48.84 Kcal/mol) showed increased interaction energy compared to umifenovir (33.68 Kcal/mol) for the 6LZG binding domain of spike glycoprotein. Epicatechin gallate (36.95 Kcal/mol) and arachidic acid (26.09 Kcal/mol) showed equally comparable interaction energy compared to umifenovir (38.20 Kcal/mol) for the 6M17 binding domain of spike glycoprotein. Trihydroxychalcone (35.23 Kcal/mol) and kaempferol (36.96 Kcal/mol) showed equally comparable interaction energy with umifenovir (36.60 Kcal/mol) for 6M0J binding domain of spike glycoprotein. Upon analyzing the phytoconstituents against RdRp binding domain, DL-arginine (41.78 Kcal/mol) showed comparable results with the positive control remdesivir (47.61 Kcal/mol). ADME analysis performed using Swiss ADME revealed that kaempferol and DL arginine showed drug-like properties with appropriate pharmacokinetic parameters. Further in vitro analysis of kaempferol by pseudovirion assay confirmed an acceptable decrease of the lentiviral particles in transfected HEK293T-hACE2 cells. CONCLUSION: The study highlights that kaempferol and DL-arginine could be the significant molecules to exhibit potent action against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants.

Analysis of human papilloma virus in oral squamous cell carcinoma using p16: An immunohistochemical study.

AIMS: The aim of this study is to evaluate the expression of human papilloma virus (HPV) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to correlate the association of HPV in histological grades of OSCC using p16 (p16INK4a) immunohistochemistry (IHC). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study consists of 30 histological diagnosed cases of OSCC (10-well-differentiated oral squamous cell carcinoma [WDOSCC], 10-moderately differentiated oral squamous cell carcinoma [MDOSCC] and 10-poorly differentiated oral squamous cell carcinoma [PDOSCC]). The sections were subjected to IHC procedure using p16. Two parameters in immunohistochemical p16 expression were evaluated by 3 observers based on the criteria by Galgano M. Tetal (2010) (a) percentage of p16 positive cases (b) pattern of p16 staining in various grades of OSCC. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Kappa test. RESULTS: Totally, 30 samples of 0SCC, p16 positivity was noted in 26/30 (86.66%). Of 26 positive cases, p16 staining was positive in 7/10 (70%) of WDOSCC, 9/10 (90%) in MDOSCC and, 10/10 (100%) PDOSCC. Incidentally, we also found single dispersed cell staining in WDOSCC, patchy staining in MDOSCC and more diffuse staining pattern predominant in PDOSCC. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed an association between HPV and OSCC. Diffuse staining pattern was noted in PDOSCC, which in turn depicts the increase viral overload, which might have an influence on its aggressive behavior.

A Spider like body in Keratocystic Odontogenic Tumor - A Paradoxical find.

Inclusion bodies are nuclear or cytoplasmic aggregates of proteins that may be formed due to infections or genetic disorders. Asteroid body is one such inclusion that is eosinophilic and spider like that are usually found in infections like sarcoidosis and sporotrichosis. Inclusions are usually pathognomonic of certain diseases and conditions, navigating the pathologist to arrive at a diagnosis. But, here we report an unusual finding of an asteroid body encountered in an inflamed keratocystic odontogenic tumor. How to cite this article: Patil S, Rao RS, Amrutha N. A Spider like body in Keratocystic Odontogenic Tumor - A Paradoxical find. J Int Oral Health 2013; 5(6):131-3 .