Lucyana Farias

Background:: Oral cancer is a significant health problem worldwide. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a malignant neoplasm of epithelial cells that mostly affects different anatomical sites in the head and neck and derives from the squamous epithelium or displays similar morphological characteristics. Generally, OSCC is often the end stage of several changes in the stratified squamous epithelium, which begin as epithelial dysplasia and progress by breaking the basement membrane and invading adjacent tissues. Several plant-based drugs with potent anti-cancer effects are considered inexpensive treatments with limited side effects for cancer and other diseases. Objective:: The aim of this review is to explore whether some Brazilian plant extracts or constituents exhibit anti-tumorigenic activity or have a cytotoxic effect on human oral carcinoma cells. Methods:: Briefly, OSCC and several metabolites derived from Brazilian plants (i.e., flavonoids, vinblastine, irinotecan, etoposid...

The Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS) has emerged as being related to vascular disease. Recently the RAS has been associated with obesity, diabetes, and even cancer. This review focuses on the therapeutic potential of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC). Considering the limited literature, Bioinformatics analyses was performed to identify possible effects of ACE inhibitors in OSCC. The current review intends to more fully explore the potential benefits of ACE inhibitors for OSCC patients.

Understanding the biological processes underlying Pressure Ulcer (PU) is an important strategy to identify new molecular targets. Bioinformatics has emerged as an important screening tool for a broad range of diseases. This study aim of the current study is to investigate the protein-protein interaction in the PU context by bioinformatics. We performed a search in gene databases, and bioinformatics algorithms were used to generate molecular targets for PU based in silico investigation. Interactions networks between protein-coding genes were built and compared to skin. TNFA, MMP9, and IL10 genes have higher disease-related connectivity than a connectivity general global. MAGOH, UBC, and PTCH1 as were leader genes related to skin. Ontological analysis demonstrated different mechanisms associated, such as response to oxidase stress. TNFA, MMP9, and IL10 are possible therapeutic targets for pressure ulcer. Additional investigation of cell post-transcriptional machinery should be investi...

The purpose of the current study was to develop and test a theoretical model that could explain the mechanism of action of gallic acid (GA) in the oral squamous cell carcinoma context for the first time. The theoretical model was developed using bioinformatics and interaction network analysis to evaluate the effect of GA on oral squamous cell carcinoma. In a second step to confirm theoretical results, migration, invasion, proliferation, and gene expression (Col1A1, E-cadherin, HIF-1α, and caspase-3) were performed under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Our study indicated that treatment with GA resulted in the inhibition of cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in neoplastic cells. Observation of the molecular mechanism showed that GA upregulates E-cadherin expression and downregulates Col1A1 and HIF-1α expression, suggesting that GA might be a potential anticancer compound. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that GA significantly reduces cell proliferation, invasion, and migration by increasing E-cadherin and repressing Col1A1.

Skin cancer represents the most common worldwide malignancy. Angiogenesis is an important factor in tumor growth and metastasis. Given these facts, the purpose of the current study was to compare the levels of angiogenic proteins in the context of the most common malignant and premalignant skin lesions. Immunohistochemistry of CD31, HIF1A, VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 was performed in basal cell carcinoma (BCC), actinic keratosis (AK) and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin (SCCS). SCCS presented with increased levels of HIF1A, VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 in comparison to AK. In addition, SCCS also demonstrated increased levels of HIF1A to BCCLR or BCCHR. BCC presented with more vessels than AK. However, no correlation was observed among CD31, HIF1A, VEGFR1 and VEGFR2. SCCS presented with higher levels of HIF1A, VEGFR1 and VEGFR2, while BCC demonstrated an increased number of vessels in relation to AK. These data suggest that antiangiogenic therapy might be useful for skin cancer treatment.

Skin cancer represents the most common worldwide malignancy. Angiogenesis is an important factor in tumor growth and metastasis. Given these facts, the purpose of the current study was to compare the levels of angiogenic proteins in the context of the most common malignant and premalignant skin lesions. Immunohistochemistry of CD31, HIF1A, VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 was performed in basal cell carcinoma (BCC), actinic keratosis (AK) and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin (SCCS). SCCS presented with increased levels of HIF1A, VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 in comparison to AK. In addition, SCCS also demonstrated increased levels of HIF1A to BCCLR or BCCHR. BCC presented with more vessels than AK. However, no correlation was observed among CD31, HIF1A, VEGFR1 and VEGFR2. SCCS presented with higher levels of HIF1A, VEGFR1 and VEGFR2, while BCC demonstrated an increased number of vessels in relation to AK. These data suggest that antiangiogenic therapy might be useful for skin cancer treatment.

... 1977;43(5):738-45. 6. Mosqueda-Taylor A, Gonzalez-Guevara M, de la Piedra-Garza JM, Diaz-Franco MA, Toscano-Garcia I, Cruz-Leon A. Cartilaginous choristomas of the tongue: review of the literature and report of three cases. J Oral Pathol Med. 1998;27(6):283-6.

... 1977;43(5):738-45. 6. Mosqueda-Taylor A, Gonzalez-Guevara M, de la Piedra-Garza JM, Diaz-Franco MA, Toscano-Garcia I, Cruz-Leon A. Cartilaginous choristomas of the tongue: review of the literature and report of three cases. J Oral Pathol Med. 1998;27(6):283-6.

We attempt to investigate a possible association between periodontal disease (PD) and mental disorders (MD) in a population of Brazilian Police. From a total study population consisting of 803 policemen, 345 police officers were obtained by a sample calculation using the finite population correction who were randomly selected in Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Patients who had been prescribed steroids or those diagnosed with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases were excluded from this study. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was used to assess mental disorders. Odds ratios (ORs) for periodontal diseases severity and their respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated. The risk of advanced scores in Clinical Attachment Level (CAL) and Community Periodontal Index (CPI) were estimated using Poisson Regression analyses. Only smoking and age were associated with severity in CAL and CPI index. No relation between MD and PD was observed even in different positions w...

We attempt to investigate a possible association between periodontal disease (PD) and mental disorders (MD) in a population of Brazilian Police. From a total study population consisting of 803 policemen, 345 police officers were obtained by a sample calculation using the finite population correction who were randomly selected in Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Patients who had been prescribed steroids or those diagnosed with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases were excluded from this study. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was used to assess mental disorders. Odds ratios (ORs) for periodontal diseases severity and their respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated. The risk of advanced scores in Clinical Attachment Level (CAL) and Community Periodontal Index (CPI) were estimated using Poisson Regression analyses. Only smoking and age were associated with severity in CAL and CPI index. No relation between MD and PD was observed even in different positions w...

... 1977;43(5):738-45. 6. Mosqueda-Taylor A, Gonzalez-Guevara M, de la Piedra-Garza JM, Diaz-Franco MA, Toscano-Garcia I, Cruz-Leon A. Cartilaginous choristomas of the tongue: review of the literature and report of three cases. J Oral Pathol Med. 1998;27(6):283-6.

It is estimated that 7.6 million people will die as a consequence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Genetic predisposition has emerged as an important risk factor in the development and prognosis of HNSCC. Considering this, the aim of the current study is to assess whether codon 72 SNP of the TP53 gene (rs1042522) is associated with an increased odds ratio of developing HNSCC or with a worse prognosis in patients with HNSCC. Analysis of the rs1042522 in HNSCC patients and in control individuals. Differences between the case and control groups were determined using chi-squared tests. Multivariate analysis was performed to evaluate the odds ratio of HNSCC. Fussy C Means Clustering was to cluster HNSCC patients for survival analyses. Time of survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier estimator and comparing this to the log rank test. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. A total of 71.4 % of the Arg/Arg genotype were from HNSCC patients, while only 28.6 %...

Data obtained from oral health surveys are very important for identifying disease-susceptible groups and for developing dental care and prevention programs. So, the purpose of the current article was to investigate the prevalence of oral mucosa lesions (OMLs) in a population of Brazilian police. Interviews and oral cavity examinations were performed on a sample of 395 police officers who were randomly selected by the calibrated researcher. The number of individuals was obtained by a sample calculation using the finite population correction. The diagnostic criteria were based on the WHO (1997) criteria and adapted to Brazilian surveys. In total, 8.61% of the population presented some OML. Traumatic injuries and benign migratory glossitis (BMG) were the most prevalent lesions. The prevalence of potentially malignant disorders was lower than among the Brazilian population.The most prevalent lesion among the police officers was related to trauma. Patients dissatisfied with oral health had a higher risk of presenting OMLs. Key words:Mouth disease, mouth mucosa, military personnel, public health, oral pathology, oral leukoplakia.

Bioinformatics has emerged as an important tool to analyze the large amount of data generated by research in different diseases. In this study, gene expression for radicular cysts (RCs) and periapical granulomas (PGs) was characterized based on a leader gene approach. A validated bioinformatics algorithm was applied to identify leader genes for RCs and PGs. Genes related to RCs and PGs were first identified in PubMed, GenBank, GeneAtlas, and GeneCards databases. The Web-available STRING software (The European Molecular Biology Laboratory [EMBL], Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany) was used in order to build the interaction map among the identified genes by a significance score named weighted number of links. Based on the weighted number of links, genes were clustered using k-means. The genes in the highest cluster were considered leader genes. Multilayer perceptron neural network analysis was used as a complementary supplement for gene classification. For RCs, the suggested leader genes were TP53 and EP300, whereas PGs were associated with IL2RG, CCL2, CCL4, CCL5, CCR1, CCR3, and CCR5 genes. Our data revealed different gene expression for RCs and PGs, suggesting that not only the inflammatory nature but also other biological processes might differentiate RCs and PGs.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) are 2 skin neoplasms with distinct potentials to invasion and metastasis. Actinic keratosis (AK) is a precursor lesion of SCC. Immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate the expression of MMP-2 and MT1-MMP in samples of BCC (n = 29), SCC (n = 12), and AK (n = 13). The ratio of positive cells to total cells was used to quantify the staining. Statistical significance was considered under the level P < .05. We found a higher expression of MMP-2 in tumor stroma and parenchyma of SCC as compared to BCC. The expression of this protein was also similar between SCC and its precursor actinic keratosis, and it was higher in the stroma of high-risk BCC when compared to low-risk BCC. MT1-MMP, which is an activator of MMP-2, was similarly expressed in all groups. Our results suggest that MMP-2 expression may contribute to the distinct invasive patterns seen in SCC and BCC.

De novo DNA methylation is a relevant epigenetic mechanism, which represses gene transcription and commonly inactivates tumor suppressor genes in carcinogenesis. A single nucleotide polymorphism of DNMT3B, C46359T (-149C-->T) was reported to modulate individual's susceptibility to cancer. We investigated the role of this polymorphic variant regarding the methylation status of the p16CDKN2A gene in young and older patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNCC) matched by the TNM staging system, together with its impact on patients survival. The results showed that the presence of the allele T of the polymorphism DNMT3B (-149C-->T) was associated with advanced TNM staging and smoking habit, but no association was found between this polymorphisms and DNMT3B immunostaining. While p16CDKN2A methylation was significantly associated with smoking habit in older patients, this parameter was associated with family history of cancer in young patients. Moreover, in older p...

Recently, high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) has emerged as a possible agent associated with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in younger patients. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to assess the effect of age on the distribution of HPV-16/18 in HNSCC, together with the impact of the virus on patient prognosis. A longitudinal prospective study was used adjusted for age, gender, TNM staging, smoking status and alcohol consumption. HPV was detected by PCR with consensus primers. Results showed there was no difference in the frequency of HPV-16/18 positivity when younger patients were compared to the older patients. No association was found among high-risk HPV positivity, gender, smoking habit and anatomical site. High-risk HPV was associated with advanced TNM in bivariate analyses; however, it did not impact on survival. Only TNM staging was associated with risk of mortality. Our study supports the theory that age does not affect the presence of HPV-16/18 i...

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is considered a serious public health problem in many countries. Recently, genetic variations have been considered as important factors to cancer susceptibility and prognosis. More specifically, genetic polymorphisms have been associated with the development and prognosis of HNSCC. The purpose of the current study was to investigate an association among p16 (CDKN2A) gene polymorphism at rs11515, age, and HNSCC aggressiveness. PCR-RFLP analysis was used to investigate the p16 (CDKN2A) gene in 96 patients with HNSCC and in 100 individuals without HNSCC. A case group was categorized by age in younger (<60 years) and older (≥ 60 years) patients. Differences between the case and control groups were determined using Fisher and chi-squared tests. Time of survival was calculated from the date of diagnosis to the date of last follow-up visit or to the date of death using the Kaplan-Meier estimator and comparing this to the log-rank test. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. In the present study, no association was established between HNSCC and rs11515 polymorphism, as indicated in a previous study. We found that HNSCC individuals with large-sized tumors and with metastatic disease presented worse overall survival, consistent with fundamental concepts that establish the effects of tumor size and lymph node metastasis to HNSCC outcomes. This study identified that there is no difference in the distribution of rs11515 between the control and HNSCC groups. In addition, no differences between rs11515 genotypes and clinicopathological parameters were observed.

Interferon-γ plays an important role in the pathogenesis of periapical lesions, and the methylation of IFNG has been associated with transcriptional inactivation. The purpose of the present study was to investigate IFNG promoter methylation in association with gene transcription and protein levels in periapical granulomas and radicular cysts. Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction was used to assess the DNA methylation pattern of the IFNG gene in 16 periapical granulomas and 13 radicular cyst samples. The transcription levels of IFNG mRNA were verified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and protein expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. All the periapical lesion samples exhibited partial or total methylation of the IFNG gene. In addition, an increased methylation profile was found in radicular cysts compared with periapical granulomas. Increased IFNG mRNA expression was observed in the partially methylated periapical lesion samples relative to the samples that were completely methylated. The present study provides the first evidence of the possible impact of IFNG methylation on IFNG transcription in periapical lesions.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between p16(CDKN2A) methylation and epithelial dysplasia (ED). We also evaluated the expressions of proteins related to methylation (DNMT3B and DNMT1). Finally, we tested whether HPV-16/18 or the dmt3b (C46359T) polymorphism is associated with p16(CDKN2A) methylation status. To test the hypothesis, a case-control study with 72 (control, n = 24; ED, n = 48) tissue samples from subjects was performed. Methylation-specific PCR, RFLP, and immunohistochemical analyses were performed to evaluate p16(CDKN2A) methylation status, dmt3b (C46359T) genotyping, and protein levels, respectively. The methylation of p16(CDKN2A) and HPV-16 was associated with ED gradation (p = 0.001 and 0.002, respectively). In addition, most HPV-16-positive samples (77.8%) exhibited p16(CDKN2A) methylation; however, changes in DNMT3B and DNMT1 protein levels were not observed in HPV-positive samples. Neither HPV-18 nor the dmt3b polymorphism was associated with p16(CDKN2A) methylation. There is an association between the presence of HPV-16 in ED and the occurrence of p16(CDKN2A) methylation. Both variables are also associated with ED development, but further studies are necessary to clarify if they operate independently and if they have any impact on OD malignization.