Tibial tuberosity derotation: a surgical procedure for realignment of the patellofemoral mechanism

We retrospectively reviewed the clinical outcomes of 22 patients (9 men and 13 women) aged 17–42 years, and affected with anterior knee pain. These patients underwent surgical derotation of the tibial tuberosity in the period between September 1992 and December 1993. We describe the details of this new surgical technique to correct a torsional abnormality that has perhaps been underestimated in the past, as a possible cause of anterior knee pain. Follow-up clinical and radiographic controls (average follow-up, 78 months; range 72–87 months) allowed us to document the efficacy of this new procedure as a treatment for anterior knee pain resistant to conservative therapy, in young patients with external hypertorsion of the proximal tibial metaphysis and without significant chondropathology

The role of the innate immune response in HPV-related oral and oropharyngeal cancer

Introduction. During the last 20 years, the incidence of HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer is increased. Principal actors of the innate immune response against HPV are represented by the TLRs (Toll like receptors). On the other hand different studies have reported that HPV can directly inhibit the functions of the TLRs pathway through interferons (IFNs). There are very few preliminary studies on the role of TLRs mediated HPV clearance in human oncology. Our study aim has been to evaluate whether TLR4 identifies HR-HPV integration state in OSCC. Methods. Protein levels of TLR4 in OSCC were assessed using Immunohistochemistry (IHC). In situ hybridization (ISH) for HPV-DNA detection in morphological context and Pyro-sequencing method have been performed in order to detect viral integration or episomic status. The relationship between TLR expression with or without HPV infection has been elucidated. Results. ISH HPV positive samples have reported lower TLR4 intensity than negative samples and it has confirmed by statistically significant difference (p = .002). There is no statistical correlation between TLR4 intensity and PCR HPV results (p > 0.05). Point-biserial correlation coefficient revealed statistically significant association between TLR4 expression and HR-HPV integration status (p = .0001) and between TLR4 expression index and HR-HPV infection (p = .001). Conclusions. We retain that TLR4 down-regulation is not associated to the histological tumoral grade but rather to HPV-16 infection and to its integration state into the host DNA

POSSIBLE ROLE OF CRY1 AND CRY2 IN ORAL CARCINOGENESIS

Aim. Dysfunction of the circadian clock is involved in tumorigenesis, and altered expression of some clock genes has been found in cancer patients. It has been shown recently that the occurrence, development, prognosis, and treatment of cancer are closely related to the abnormal expression of certain circadian-clock genes. CRY1 and CRY2 circadian-clock gene plays an important role in the regulation of many normal hysiological rhythms. This proteins act as light-independent inhibitors of CLOCK-BMAL1 components of the circadian clock. It has been revealed recently that abnormal expression of CRY1 and CRY2 correlate closely with the occurrence and development of many cancers. However, the expression and significance of this proteins in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression levels of CRY1 and CRY2 in oral cancer. Materials and methods. CRY1 and CRY2 expression in cancerous and peritumoral tissues (when it was present) from 27 patients with OSCC was detected by immunohistochemistry techniques. Of all samples were received medical records (age, sex, grading, TNM, site of localization of the tumor). Immunohistochemistry was then performed on two sections for each of 27 sample mounted on poly-Llysine-coated glass slides to evaluate respectively the expression of CRY1 and CRY2.Results. In this study, out of the 27 cases, 11 were +/- positive in tumor area for CRY1 (most of which are well (differentiated), while out of 23 cases in which we evaluated the peritumoral tissue present in the section, 18 were positive. Also in the cases of positive tumor, almost always cytoplasmic, the CRY1 appears to be more strongly positive in dysplastic areas or even more in healthy epithelium, with a negative regulation in the areas most undifferentiated. As for the CRY2, out of the 27 cases analyzed, 17 were positive in the tumor area while about 23 cases in which we evaluated in peritumoral tissue present in the sections, 20 cases were positive. In tumor epithelium were found positivity also medium / high, present in tumors of different degree of differentiation, in some cases in other nuclear or cytoplasmic and nuclear/cytoplasmic, but when present the CRY2 is expressed, in most cases, in a manner similar or more intensely in peritumoral dysplastic epithelium. In the case of CRY2, there were no positivity in healthy epithelium (when present), but only in dysplastic epithelium. In addition, the positivity observed especially in peritumoral epithelium were present in states intermediate/surface. Conclusions. In conclusion, abnormal expression levels of CRY1 and CRY2 in OSCC tissue compared to healthy or dysplastic tissue may be related to the process of tumorigenesis. Further research focusing on these genes may, from the perspective of biological rhythms, provide novel ideas and methods for a better understanding of the occurrence and development of tumors, and for treatment of oral cancer

A Troubling Diagnosis of Verrucous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (“the Bad Kind” of Keratosis) and the Need of Clinical and Pathological Correlations: A Review of the Literature with a Case Report

Verrucous carcinoma (also known as Ackerman tumor) is an uncommon exophytic low-grade well-differentiated variant of squamous cell carcinoma. This neoplasm typically involves the oral cavity, larynx, genitalia, skin, and esophagus. It is well known for its locally aggressiveness and for its clinically slow-growing behaviour with minimal metastatic potential. Verrucous carcinoma of oral cavity is so closely aligned with the use of snuff and chewing tobacco that it has been called the “snuff dipper's cancer”. Recent studies have proved the role of HPV. The typical clinical presentation of oral verrucous carcinoma has long been known, as its remarkably innocuous appearance and biological behaviour. In this work, we report a review of the scientific literature and describe a troublesome case of oral verrucous cancer

Toll-like receptor 4 expression in the epithelium of inflammatory periapical lesions. An immunohistochemical study

Toll-like receptors (TLR) are essential for the innate immune response against invading pathogens and have been described in immunocompetent cells of areas affected by periapical disease. Besides initiating the inflammatory response, they also directly regulate epithelial cell proliferation and survival in a variety of settings. This study evaluates the in situ expression of TLR4 in periapical granulomas (PG) and radicular cysts, focusing on the epithelial compartment. Twenty-one periapical cysts (PC) and 10 PG were analyzed; 7 dentigerous non-inflamed follicular cyst (DC) served as control. TLR4 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry. TLR4 immunoreaction products were detected in the epithelium of all specimens, with a higher percentage of immunostained cells in PG. Although TLR4 overexpression was detected in both PG and PC, there were differences that seemed to be related to the nature of the lesion, since in PG all epithelial cells of strands, islands and trabeculae were strongly immunoreactive for TLR4, whereas in PC only some areas of the basal and suprabasal epithelial layers were immunostained. This staining pattern is consistent with the action of TLR4: in PG it could promote formation of epithelial cell rests of Malassez and in epithelial strands and islands the enhancement of cell survival, proliferation and migration, whereas in PC TLR4 could protect the lining epithelium from extensive apoptosis. These findings go some way towards answering the intriguing question of why many epithelial strands or islands in PG and the lining epithelium of apical cysts regress after non-surgical endodontic therapy, and suggest that TLR4 plays a key role in the pathobiology of the inflammatory process related to periapical disease

Asymmetric transmission and anomalous refraction in metal nanowires metasurface

Here we investigated the asymmetric transmission and the anomalous refraction introduced by a metasurface of bent gold nanowires. The refraction follows the generalized Snell's law that takes into account the resonant behavior of metallic nanostructures located at the interface between two dielectrics. Measurements performed in the linear optical regime reveal a large sensitivity to the subwavelength features of the gold nanostructures

HSP 27 aspossible prognostic factor in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Summary. HSP27 belongs to the Heat shock protein (HSP) family, which plays essential functions in cells under physiological conditions and prevents stressinduced cellular damage. The aim of this study was to investigate the biological role of HSP27 in oral tumorigenesis. Materials and methods: Seventy-nine cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma and 10 cases of normal mucosa were analysed for HSP27 expression by immunohistochemistry. Moreover, the western blot analysis was performed on two cases of normal mucosa and five cases of OSCC. Results: Normal oral mucosa showed a suprabasal expression of HSP27. Twenty-four cases of SCC (30.7%) showed a diffuse staining for HSP27, and 48 cases (60.3%) showed instead a decrease in staining, which was diffuse, homogeneous, or with alternation of positive and negative areas in a single tumor (“mosaic” pattern). Only 7 cases of OSCC (7.5%) were completely negative for HSP27. Frequency of lymph node metastases was higher in HSP27-negative tumours (3/7, 42.8%) than in HSP-reduced (16/48, 33.3%) or positive ones (5/26, 19.2%). Regard staging, stages I and II had a higher score than stages III and IV (stage I > stage II > stage III > stage IV). There was also a statistically significant correlation between HSP27 expression and grade: HSP27 expression was reduced in poorly differentiated tumours (P < 0.05). When analysed for prognostic significance, patients with negative/reduced HSP27 expression had poorer survival rates than the group with positive HSP27 expression (P < 0.05). The statistical analysis of these findings showed no significant correlation between HSP27 expression, sex, and tumour size. Conclusion: Cases with reduced expression were more aggressive and poorly differentiated. These data suggest that HSP27 expression may be useful in order to identify cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma with more aggressive and invasive phenotype providing novel diagnostic and prognostic information on individual patient survival with oral cancers