Orofacial Rhabdomyosarcoma : report of a case and review of the literature

Rhabdomyosarcomas (RMS) are among the most common soft-tissue tumors in children. These tumors are derived from mesenchymal tissue with a tendency toward myogenic differentiation that probably originates from immature and highly invasive satellite cells associated with the embryogenesis of skeletal muscle. Some of these tumors are associated with high rates of recurrence and metastasis. The diagnosis is made by microscopic analysis and auxiliary techniques such as immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, cytogenetic analysis, and molecular biology. We report here a case of orofacial RMS in a 4-year-old child and provide an updated review of the literature, focusing mainly on the clinicopathological aspects, diagnosis and treatment of RMS of the head and neck

Prognostic value of the immunohistochemical detection of epithelial-mesenchymal transition biomarkers in oral epithelial dysplasia : a systematic review

Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) comprise a range of clinical-pathological alterations that are frequently characterized as architectural and cytological derangements upon histological analysis. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been proposed as a critical mechanism for the acquisition of the malignant phenotype in neoplastic epithelial processes. This study aims to systematically review the current findings on the immunohistochemical expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers in oral potentially malignant disorders and to evaluate their possible application as biomarkers associated with the progression of oral epithelial dysplasias. A systematic search was performed in the following databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Chinese BioMedical Literature Database, and Cochrane Library. Articles that evaluated the relationship between the expression of EMT markers and the degree of oral epithelial dysplasia were selected for the systematic review. The quality of each eligible study was evaluated by independent reviewers that used operationalized prognostic biomarker reporting guidelines (REMARK). Seventeen articles met all inclusion criteria and were selected. The EMT markers analyzed exhibited an important association with the prognosis of the cases evaluated. The results showed a progressive increase in the expression of nuclear transcription factors and markers of mesenchymal differentiation, as well as negative regulation of epithelial and cell adhesion markers, according to the stage of oral epithelial dysplasia. The dysregulation of expression of important EMT components in oral dysplastic epithelium is a potential prognostic marker in OPMDs

Prognostic and clinicopathological significance of tumor-stroma ratio in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma:a systematic review

Analysis of the tumor microenvironment has been proposed as a strategy for the treatment and prognosis of different neoplastic processes. A grading system based on the tumor-stroma ratio (TSR), which evaluates the proportion of stroma in relation to neoplastic parenchyma at the invasion front, has shown a strong prognostic value in different neoplastic processes. The aim of the present systematic review was to understand the role of the TSR in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), evaluating its correlation with clinical and prognostic parameters. An electronic search was performed in PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Science Direct, Scopus, Embase, and the Cochrane Collaboration Library. Publications assessing the relationship between TSR and prognosis in cases of HNSCC were eligible. The quality of the studies was assessed independently by four evaluators using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. After application of the previously es+lished inclusion/exclusion criteria, nine articles were included in the qualitative synthesis. With regards to quality on the Newcastle-Ottawa scale, an overall value of 4.55 was obtained. This systematic review demonstrated a strong association between TSR and prognosis in esophageal and oral squamous cell carcinomas. Histopathological analysis of the TSR can optimize the analysis of the prognosis of cases diagnosed with HNSSC. In addition, the TSR is a reliable and simple parameter that can be evaluated in hematoxylin/eosin-stained slides during routine laboratory examinations, showing high inter- and intraobserver agreement

Dermoid and epidermoid cysts of the oral cavity : a 48-year retrospective study with focus on clinical and morphological features and review of main topics

Dermoid and epidermoid cysts are slow-growing, benign developmental cysts that arise from ectodermal tissue and can occur anywhere in the body. Less than 7% of these cysts involve the head and neck region, with only 1.6% of cases presenting in the oral cavity. To evaluate the clinical and histopathological features of dermoid (DCs) and epidermoid (ECs) cysts stored in the archives of a referred Oral Pathology Service over a 48-year-period, and to review current concepts about these cysts. All DCs and ECs were reviewed, and clinical data were obtained from the patient records. Fourteen cases of DCs and thirteen cases of ECs were re-evaluated microscopically by 2 oral pathologists. Among 15.387 cases, 14 (0.09%) had a histopathological diagnosis of DCs and 13 (0.08%) of ECs. For DCs, ten (71.4%) patients were women, with the mean age of 37.2 years. All DCs were lined by a stratified squamous epithelium (100%), with gut and respiratory epithelium observed in 1 (7.1%) and 2 (14.3%) cases, respectively. Chronic inflammatory cells, melanin, multinucleated giant cell reaction, and Pacini bodies were also observed. For ECs, eight (61.5%) cases were in women, and the mean age was 38.2 years. All ECs were lined by a stratified squamous epithelium (100%). Chronic inflammatory cells, melanin pigmentation, and adipose tissue were observed in the fibrous capsule. Our results suggest that stratified squamous epithelium is the predominant epithelial lining of these cystic lesions. Also, we may find some unusual findings in DCs, such as Pacini bodies

Stanniocalcin 2 contributes to aggressiveness and is a prognostic marker for oral squamous cell carcinoma

Stanniocalcin 2 (STC2), a glycoprotein that regulates calcium and phosphate homeostasis during mineral metabolism, appears to display multiple roles in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. This study aimed to access the prognostic value of STC2 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and its implications in oral tumorigenesis. STC2 expression was examined in 2 independent cohorts of OSCC tissues by immunohistochemistry. A loss-of-function strategy using shRNA targeting STC2 was employed to investigate STC2 in vitro effects on proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and possible activation of signaling pathways. Moreover, STC2 effects were assessed in vivo in a xenograft mouse cancer model. High expression of STC2 was significantly associated with poor disease-specific survival (HR: 2.67, 95% CI: 1.37-5.21, p = 0.001) and high rate of recurrence with a hazard ratio of 2.80 (95% CI: 1.07-5.71, p = 0.03). In vitro downregulation of STC2 expression in OSCC cells attenuated proliferation, migration and invasiveness while increased apoptotic rates. In addition, the STC2 downregulation controlled EMT phenotype of OSCC cells, with regulation on E-cadherin, vimentin, Snaill, Twist and Zeb2. The reactivation of STC2 was observed in the STC2 knockdown cells in the in vivo xenograft model, and no influence on tumor growth was observed. Modulation of STC2 expression levels did not alter consistently the phosphorylation status of CREB, ERK, JNK, p38, p70 S6K, STAT3, STAT5A/B and AKT. Our findings suggest that STC2 overexpression is an independent marker of OSCC outcome and may contribute to tumor progression via regulation of proliferation, survival and invasiveness of OSCC cells.Peer reviewe

Immunohistochemical study of macrophages subpopulations associated with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, with and without metastasis

ABSTRACT Introduction: Stromal cells interact with tumor cells and play an important role in cancer invasion and metastasis. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) can exhibit M1 phenotype, important immune effector cells, or M2 phenotype, able to suppress the function of M1 macrophages and influence angiogenesis and tissue repair. The CD68 antibody recognizes M1 and M2 macrophages, whereas CD163 antibody is specific only to identify M2 macrophages. Objective: To investigate the presence of TAMs in a number of cases squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the tongue by associating it with the occurrence of metastasis. Material and methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate the immunopositivity for CD68 and CD163 in 27 cases of SCC of the tongue. Results: The percentage of CD68 positive macrophages was higher than CD163 positive macrophages in all specimens studied. Comparing CD163 and CD68 immunostaining in the studied groups, it was observed that cases without metastasis had a higher percentage of CD68 positive cells in relation to CD163 positive cells, which was statistically significant. Conclusion: Considering these results, there was a predominance of M1 macrophages in SCC of the tongue cases without metastasis, suggesting the influence of these cells in clinical behavior of the lesion