A Case of Necrotizing Sialometaplasia of the Hard Palate Treated with Tranexamic Acid and Sodium Azulene Sulfonate

Necrotizing sialometaplasia is a benign lesion affecting the minor salivary glands of the hard palate. This lesion may be clinically and histopathologically confused with malignant lesions. A case of a 47-year-old man who presented with necrotizing sialometaplasia on the left side of the hard palate is herein reported. A biopsy was performed, and the condition was diagnosed based on immunohistochemistry. The lesion receded following treatment with tranexamic acid and sodium azulene sulfonate. The symptom of painful swelling on the hard palate subsided within 10 days. The palatal lesion had disappeared completely 4 months later

Methanol and Butanol Extracts of Paeonia lutea

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is one of the most common cancers of the head and neck region worldwide and is generally treated surgically in combination with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. However, anticancer agents have numerous serious side effects, and alternative, less toxic agents that are effective as chemotherapeutics for SCC are required. The Paeoniaceae family is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. We examined methanol and butanol extracts of Paeonia lutea (P. lutea) leaves for their potential as an anticancer agent. Both extracts decreased the proliferation of SCC cells, induced apoptotic cell death, and modulated migration, adhesion, chemotaxis, and haptotaxis in an extracellular matrix- (ECM-) dependent manner due to altered expression of several integrin subunits. Subsequently, SCC cells were subcutaneously transplanted into athymic nude mice; the extracts reduced the metastasis of SCC cells but had little effect on the volume of the primary tumor or survival or body weight of the mice. The results suggest that the extracts may hold promise for preventing cancer metastasis

Expression of nephronectin is inhibited by oncostatin M via both JAK/STAT and MAPK pathways

AbstractNephronectin (Npnt), also called POEM, is an extracellular matrix protein considered to play critical roles as an adhesion molecule in the development and functions of various tissues, such as the kidneys, liver, and bones. In the present study, we examined the molecular mechanism of Npnt gene expression and found that oncostatin M (OSM) strongly inhibited Npnt mRNA expression in MC3T3-E1 cells from a mouse osteoblastic cell line. OSM also induced a decrease in Npnt expression in both time- and dose-dependent manners via both the JAK/STAT and MAPK pathways. In addition, OSM-induced inhibition of osteoblast differentiation was recovered by over-expression of Npnt. These results suggest that OSM inhibits Npnt expression via the JAK/STAT and MAPK pathways, while down-regulation of Npnt by OSM influences inhibition of osteoblast differentiation

Solitary fibrous tumor of the buccal mucosa: A case report

Solitary fibrous tumors （SFTs） were reported in 1931 as tumors derived from mesenchymal tissue. They occur mainly in the pleura and peritoneum and rarely in the oral and maxillary regions. This report presents the case of a 48-year-old woman with a tumor in the left buccal mucosa. We suspected a salivary gland tumor or hemangioma. Excision was performed under general anesthesia. The lesion was removed as a single mass. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses led to the diagnosis of SFT. We report this case based on a literature review

Cervical Sympathetic Chain Schwannomas

Surgery for cervical sympathetic chain schwannomas may result in postoperative Horner\u27s syndrome. Thus, appropriate informed consent and adequate surgical experience are required to prevent any decrease in patients\u27 quality of life (QOL) following such surgery. Here we report three cases of cervical sympathetic chain schwannomas, focusing on diagnosis and postoperative neuroparalysis. A schwannoma is suspected on pre-operative imaging when the common carotid artery (internal and external carotid artery) and internal jugular vein are located in front of or alongside the tumor, and cases in which the artery and vein are not separated are considered to be of sympathetic nerve origin. Since the origin nerve comes from the back anatomically, great care is needed during surgery. None of the patients in this study had symptoms of nerve paralysis postoperatively

Impact of Non-Coding RNAs on Chemotherapeutic Resistance in Oral Cancer

Drug resistance in oral cancer is one of the major problems in oral cancer therapy because therapeutic failure directly results in tumor recurrence and eventually in metastasis. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated the involvement of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), in processes related to the development of drug resistance. A number of studies have shown that ncRNAs modulate gene expression at the transcriptional or translational level and regulate biological processes, such as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, apoptosis, DNA repair and drug efflux, which are tightly associated with drug resistance acquisition in many types of cancer. Interestingly, these ncRNAs are commonly detected in extracellular vesicles (EVs) and are known to be delivered into surrounding cells. This intercellular communication via EVs is currently considered to be important for acquired drug resistance. Here, we review the recent advances in the study of drug resistance in oral cancer by mainly focusing on the function of ncRNAs, since an increasing number of studies have suggested that ncRNAs could be therapeutic targets as well as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis

Tumor protein D54: A promising marker of mucoepidermoid carcinoma

A definitive diagnosis of salivary gland tumors is extremely difficult to make without evaluating the entire tumor and conducting immunohistochemical examinations. In this study, we aimed to examine and compare the expression patterns of the tumor protein （TP） D52 family, including TPD52, TPD53, and TPD54, in salivary gland tumor cells by using immunohistochemical staining. Among over 30 benign and malignant salivary gland tumors with extensive and diverse morphological features and overlapping histological similarities, we selected Warthin’s tumor and pleomorphic adenoma to represent benign salivary gland tumors and mucoepidermoid carcinoma to represent malignant ones. Tumor samples were fixed in 10％ buffered formalin and embedded in paraffin. Then, immunohistochemical staining was performed using antibodies against TPD52, TPD53, and TPD54. Neither the benign salivary gland tumors nor mucoepidermoid carcinoma stained for TPD52. However, the intensity of TPD53 and TPD54 staining was found to be low in the benign salivary gland tumors and high in mucoepidermoid carcinoma. TPD54 may serve as a pathological indicator of benign salivary gland tumors and mucoepidermoid carcinoma

Two Cases of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Comprising Partial Autoamputation of the Apex of the Tongue

The prevalence of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adults is lower than that in adolescents and it is more prevalent in patients with psychiatric disorders. Sleep disturbances such as nightmares are associated with NSSI after accounting for depression; thus, persons with major NSSI sometimes present at medical institutions during the night seeking emergency treatment. Gingival tissues comprise the most frequent target of self-injury of the oral cavity using oral hygiene tools. Most NSSI in the oral cavity is minor because such tools are blunt. Major NSSI such as autoamputation of the tongue is rare. We describe two patients who partially autoamputated the apex of their own tongues using edged tools. Case 1 was a 55-year-old female with depression who had defaulted from psychiatric intervention. She had cut off her tongue using a Japanese kitchen knife and presented with the dry, necrotic amputated portion and blood oozing from the remainder of her tongue. We debrided and sutured the remainder of the tongue without reattaching the amputated portion. Her postoperative course was uneventful, and she was free of adverse events such as functional disability and wound infection. Case 2 was a 69-year-old female with schizophrenia who had defaulted from psychiatric intervention and had cut off her tongue using scissors. The amputated portion of the tongue was lost and the remainder, which was oozing blood, was debrided and sutured. She defaulted on a follow-up appointment. Neither of these patients had suicidal intent. The prevalence of NSSI across all age groups has recently increased, and the risk that self-injury will become normalized has become a concern. Thus, dentists as well as oral and maxillofacial surgeons should be aware of the possibility that patients will present with major NSSI requiring emergency treatment