Salivary microRNA 155, 146a/b and 203: A pilot study for potentially non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers of periodontitis and diabetes mellitus

Dysregulated expression of MicroRNAs (miRNAs) plays substantial role in the initiation and progression of both diabetes and periodontitis. The aim of the present study was to validate four miRNAs in saliva as potential predictive biomarkers of periodontal disease among patients with and without diabetes mellitus (DM). MiRNAs were extracted from the saliva of 24 adult subjects with DM and 29 healthy controls. Each group was subdivided into periodontally healthy or having periodontitis. In silico analysis identified 4 miRNAs (miRNA 155, 146 a/b and 203) as immune modulators. The expression of miRNAs-146a/b, 155, and 203 was tested using quantitative PCR. The expression levels in the study groups were compared to explore the effect of diabetes on periodontal status and vice versa. In our cohort, the four miRNAs expression were higher in patients with periodontitis and/or diabetes. miRNA-155 was the most reliable predictors of periodontitis among non-diabetics with an optimum cut-off value of < 8.97 with accuracy = 82.6%. MiRNA 146a, on the other hand, was the only reliable predictor of periodontitis among subjects with diabetes with optimum cut-off value of ≥11.04 with accuracy = 86.1%. The results of the present study concluded that MiRNA-146a and miRNA155 in saliva provide reliable, non-invasive, diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers that can be used to monitor periodontal health status among diabetic and non-diabetic patients

Effects of vitamin D deficiency on bone and root re-sorption post-orthodontic retention in rats

Background: Orthodontic therapy often causes external root resorption. Serum vitamin D (VD) level is important for tooth mineralization and bone remodeling. This study aimed to test the impact of vitamin D (VD) supplements on bone and root remodelling in a vitamin D (VD) deficient rat model following orthodontic retention. Methods and Material: 30 male Wistar rats were divided into three groups: a control group of 10 rats and two experimental groups of 10 rats each with vitamin D deficiency (VDD) induced by a VD-free diet for 21 days. And a third group with VD supplementAll groups received orthodontic active treatment using a modified orthodontic appliance that applied 50 gm of force for 14 days to move the maxillary right first molar mesially, followed by 7 days of retention and relapse. The VDD group received no intervention, while the VDS group received 40,000 IU/kg of systemic VD3 by intramuscular injection on the first and fifteenth day of orthodontic treatment. Histomorphometric analysis was performed to assess bone and cementum resorption and deposition. Results: The VDD group exhibited a significant increase in bone and root resorption and a decrease in bone deposition and ce-mentum deposition ratio. In addition, bone deposition and the ratio of cementum deposition were substantially greater in the VDS group compared to the control group. Conclusion: VDD may increase bone and root cementum resorption and decrease deposition after orthodontic retention, which may play a significant role in relapse after retention. Prior to beginning orthodontic treatment, routine VD screening may be beneficial

Identification of p53-target genes in human papillomavirus-associated head and neck cancer by integrative bioinformatics analysis

IntroductionHead and neck cancer (HNC) is a highly prevalent and heterogeneous malignancy. Although extensive efforts have been made to advance its treatment, the prognosis remained poor with increased mortality. Human papillomaviruses (HPV) have been associated with high risk in HNC. TP53, a tumor suppressor, is the most frequently altered gene in HNC, therefore, investigating its target genes for the identification of novel biomarkers or therapeutic targets in HPV-related HNC progression is highly recommended.MethodsTranscriptomic profiles from three independent gene expression omnibus (GEO) datasets, including 44 HPV+ and 70 HPV- HNC patients, were subjected to integrative statistical and Bioinformatics analyses. For the top-selected marker, further in-silico validation in TCGA and GTEx databases and experimental validation in 65 (51 HPV- and 14 HPV+) subjects with histologically confirmed head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) have been performed.ResultsA total of 498 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified including 291 up-regulated genes and 207 down-regulated genes in HPV+ compared to HPV- HNSCC patients. Functional annotations and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) showed that the up-regulated genes were significantly involved in p53-related pathways. The integrative analysis between the Hub-genes identified in the complex protein-protein network and the top frequent genes resulting from GSEA showed an intriguing correlation with five biomarkers which are EZH2, MDM2, PCNA, STAT5A and TYMS. Importantly, the MDM2 gene showed the highest gene expression difference between HPV+ and HPV- HNSCC (Average log2FC = 1.89). Further in-silico validation in a large HNSCC cohort from TCGA and GTEx databases confirmed the over-expression of MDM2 in HPV+ compared to HPV- HNSCC patients (p = 2.39E-05). IHC scoring showed that MDM2 protein expression was significantly higher in HPV+ compared to HPV- HNSCC patients (p = 0.031).DiscussionOur findings showed evidence that over-expression of MDM2, proto-oncogene, may affect the occurrence and proliferation of HPV-associated HNSCC by disturbing the p53-target genes and consequently the p53-related pathways

Salivary neuron specific enolase: an indicator for neuronal damage in patients with ischemic stroke and stroke-prone patients

Background: The blood-brain barrier is compromised in patients with stroke. The release of neuro-biochemical protein markers, such as neuron specific enolase (NSE) into the circulation may allow the pathophysiology and prognosis of patients with cerebrovascular diseases to be evaluated further. The present study was designed to measure the marker of neuronal damage, NSE, in saliva and serum of patients with acute ischemic stroke and patients with stroke related diseases as a diagnostic and/or monitoring tool for early prediction of ischemic stroke. Methods: Salivary and serum NSE concentrations were measured in 150 individuals. Fifty were patients recently diagnosed as having ischemic stroke, 75 were gender and age-matched risk-group patients (patients with hypertension, type 2 diabetes and ischemic heart disease). Another 25 were gender and age-matched healthy controls. Results: Salivary and serum NSE concentrations were significantly higher than that of healthy controls. The cut-off threshold for salivary NSE of 3.7 μg/L was optimum, showing 80% accuracy for differentiation of ischemic stroke from normal individuals. Conclusions: Salivary NSE (alone or in combination with serum) can be used as a valuable diagnostic and possibly prognostic tool for measurement of neuronal damage in patients with stroke and stroke-related diseases. Clin Chem Lab Med 2009;47:1519–24.Peer Reviewe

The Relation between Periodontopathogenic Bacterial Levels and Resistin in the Saliva of Obese Type 2 Diabetic Patients

This study aims to investigate the relation between resistin and periodontopathogenic bacterial levels in the saliva of obese adults compared to healthy control and to examine whether salivary resistin can serve as a biomarker of type 2 diabetes in obese patients. A total of 78 saliva samples were collected from patients attending to the University Dental Hospital, Sharjah, UAE. The patients were divided into three equal groups: obese diabetics, obese nondiabetics, and nonobese nondiabetic control. Salivary resistin was measured using ELISA. The levels of bacterial species associated with periodontitis (Treponema denticola, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans) and gingivitis (Fusobacterium spp.) were measured using real-time PCR. Both salivary resistin and periodontopathogenic bacteria including Fusobacterium spp., P. gingivalis, and T. forsythia were detected in significantly higher quantities in the obese patients (diabetics and nondiabetics) than nonobese nondiabetic control. Resistin concentrations were significantly correlated with BMI; however, its level was not correlated with the blood glucose. In this study, high salivary resistin was associated with obesity, which is a major predisposing factor for type 2 diabetes and also a risk factor for oral diseases. The high levels of salivary periodontopathogenic bacteria could upregulate the local release of salivary resistin in obese people

Teeth Whitening and Antibacterial Effects of Juglans regia Bark: A Preliminary Study

Objectives. Natural folk medicines with antimicrobial effects have been under investigation during the past decades. The aim of this study was to evaluate the teeth whitening and antimicrobial effects of ethanol extract of Persian walnut “Juglans regia” barks. Materials and Methods. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined using a broth microdilution assay which was conducted through a 2-fold serial dilution method, and a whitening experiment was done in vitro on extracted teeth, with a pH test being performed on 2-fold dilutions of the ethanol extract. Result. It was found that the MIC for Enterobacter and E. coli and Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas was found to be 5 mg/ml and 2.5 mg/ml, respectively. Both dilutions were found to be acidic, and the extract of Juglans regia bark also demonstrated the ability of teeth whitening. Conclusion. This study supports the use of Juglans regia bark as a natural product in dentistry because of the confirmed antimicrobial ability as well as its whitening effect. Clinical Relevance. Herb extract might be incorporated within commercially available kinds of toothpaste to enhance its whitening and antimicrobial effects

Peripheral Ameloblastoma of Upper Gingiva in a Patient with Port-Wine Stain

The peripheral ameloblastoma (PA), also known as extraosseous ameloblastoma, is a rare soft tissue tumor of odontogenic origin, accounting for 1–5% of all ameloblastoma. In some cases, saucerization of underlying bone is the only radiological evidence of this lesion, and PA has identical histological characteristics of intraosseous ameloblastoma. However, it is slow growing, less aggressive, and less invasive in nature. The present report describes a rare case of PA in the maxillary labial gingiva of a 37-year-old man with port-wine vascular malformation. PA was clinically diagnosed as a pyogenic granuloma, and following the surgical treatment of the lesion, its histological features were of ameloblastoma. This case illustrates the importance of including peripheral ameloblastoma in the differential diagnosis of painless exophytic gingival swelling

PIK3CB and K-ras in oral squamous Cell carcinoma. A possible cross-talk!

Background: PIK3 and K-ras are signal transducing proteins involved and mediating many responses related to cell cycle growth regulation. Until date, there has been only limited evidence about the expression of K-ras and PKI3CB in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). AIMS : This study aimed to examine both proteins in OSCC and their relation to clinic- pathological findings. Setting and Design: A total of 31 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens of OSCC were selected in this study. PIK3CB and K-ras expressions were detected using standard immunohistochemical techniques. Materials and Methods: PIK3CB and k-ras immune reactivity was semi-quantitatively evaluated in at least five representative fields at 400X magnification and recorded as percentage of PIK3CB and k-ras positive tumor cells over the total number of cells examined in the same area. Results and Conclusion: All examined specimens of OSCC were positive for monoclonal antibodies directed against PIK3CB and K-ras proteins especially at advanced stage of the disease. No significant relation was observed between the tested proteins and the clinic-pathological findings of OSCC; however a highly significant direct relationship was observed between K-ras and PIK3CB. This lead to conclusion that both K-ras and PIK3CB signaling pathway were activated in the advanced stage of OSCC, and possibly a cross-talk between them. This could make these mutant proteins a potential target for an effective molecular therapy

Shisha Smoking Habit among Dental School Students in the United Arab Emirates: Enabling Factors and Barriers

Objectives. The objective of the present study was to assess shisha smoking among dental school students in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE). In addition, the role of suggested barriers and enabling factors in shisha smoking was also evaluated. Methods. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted at the College of Dental Medicine, University of Sharjah, between February and May 2016. The questions were adapted from previously published water pipe smoking studies. The collected data were analyzed to identify the relationship between shisha smoking and sociodemographic characteristics. Relevant questions were further categorized as enabling factors and barriers for shisha smoking. Results. Three enabling questionnaire items related to social environment were significantly associated with an increased risk of being a current smoker. The most powerful is peer pressure (“friends smoke shisha”), which increased the odds ratio of shisha smoking 11.3 times, followed by smoker sibling with increase in odd ratio by 4.52 times, then the belief of social acceptance with increase in odd ratio by 4.31 times. Conclusion. Shisha smoking is a serious problem among university students. Any intervention program in the university curricula should consider teaching students that shisha is no less risky than cigarettes and is addictive