Search

The Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD) has been validated as a clinical diagnostic guideline with high-sensitivity and -specificity in identifying TMDs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the agreement between DC/TMD diagnoses and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnoses in patients with TMD. A prospective cohort study was conducted on patients with TMD. The predictor variable was the clinical diagnosis of TMD based on DC/TMD criteria. The outcome variable was the MRI diagnosis of TMD. The diagnoses used for both the predictor variable and the outcome variable were the same. They were normal, disc displacement with reduction (DDWR), DDWR with intermittent locking, disc displacement without reduction (DDWOR) with limited opening, DDWOR without limited opening, degenerative joint disease, and subluxation. Age and gender of the patients and number of joints evaluated were covariates. Each subject had clinical examination performed by two independent Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. All subjects had a bilateral temporomandibular joint (TMJ) MRI performed which was evaluated by a radiologist. The correlation between the clinical and MRI diagnoses was calculated using Cohen's kappa value with a P value of <.05 considered significant. A total of fifty patients (100 TMJs) were enrolled with 38 females and 12 males. The mean ages were 31.92 and 31.75 years, respectively, with a total of 100 TMJs analyzed. Internal derangement was clinically identified in 76% of the joints and with MRI in 69% of joints. The Cohen's kappa value between DC/TMD and MRI diagnoses was found to be κ = 0.720 (P <.01). The respective sensitivity and specificity in determining disc position clinically for DDWR was 1 and 0.96; for DDWR with intermittent locking 0.78 and 0.91; for DDWOR with limited opening 0.9 and 0.98; for DDWOR without limited opening 1 and 0.9; for degenerative joint disease 0.63 and 0.97 and for subluxation 0.28 and 1.00. The DC/TMD clinical examination performed well in all types of disc displacement but is less reliable than MRI in detecting the presence of degenerative disc diseases and subluxation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present randomized controlled split-mouth clinical study was to evaluate and compare the clinical anesthetic efficacy of lidocaine and tramadol hydrochloride in orthodontic extractions. A total of 32 systemically healthy patients requiring bilaterally maxillary first premolar extractions for orthodontic reasons were included. Each patient received 1.8 mL of lidocaine (36 mg lidocaine HCI and 0.0225 mg epinephrine) on 1 side and 1.8 mL tramadol (50 mg tramadol HCl and 0.0225 mg epinephrine diluted to 1.8 mL by distilled water) on the other side. The anesthetic solutions were infiltrated into the buccal vestibule (local infiltration) based on a computer-generated list. In each patient, the time of anesthetic onset and finish, anesthetic activity, duration of postoperative analgesia, additional analgesic medication, wound healing, possible side effects, and satisfaction levels were recorded intraoperatively and postoperatively for both sides. Although no relevant differences were found between the solutions for anesthetic onset, lidocaine was significantly more effective statistically for the total anesthesia duration. Comparing the anesthetic activity at 5 minutes before extraction, we found that tramadol was significantly more effective statistically compared with lidocaine. Similarly, tramadol was significantly more effective statistically than lidocaine for satisfaction level and wound healing. Moreover, compared with tramadol, in terms of postoperative pain, the visual analog scale scores with lidocaine were significantly higher at statistically 7, 8, 9, and 10 hours during the first 12 hours. In general, the lidocaine values were dramatically higher than were the tramadol values. The results of the present study suggest that using tramadol combined with epinephrine can be an alternative local anesthetic for maxillary first premolar tooth extractions in oral-maxillofacial surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study investigated the local anesthetic efficiency of tramadol versus lidocaine hydrochloride in maxillary infiltration anesthesia.Materials and Methods: This study was a randomized double-blinded study involving 50 healthy volunteers. In the experimental part of this study, each volunteer received a buccal 0.5-mL injection of tramadol hydrochloride 25 mg on one side and a buccal 0.5-mL injection of vasoconstrictor-free lidocaine hydrochloride 20 mg on the other side. No other treatment was performed. After the injections, total duration of anesthesia, start and finish times of anesthesia, soft tissue (sensory) innervation, depth of anesthetic, possible side effects, and satisfaction levels were recorded from all volunteers.Results: There was no relevant difference between solutions for total anesthesia duration and peak values. However, statistically, the effect of lidocaine started and ended early. The efficacy of tramadol was markedly more effective in the gingiva and skin, especially at 15 and 20 minutes, compared with lidocaine. Both anesthetic agents were well tolerated by the volunteers.Conclusion: Tramadol hydrochloride can be a good alternative to local anesthetic agents and beneficial to support anesthesia during long operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radicular cysts are characterized by significant levels of changes in inflammatory biomarkers. Among them, interleukins and growth factors have been reported to be deregulated in radicular cyst tissues. Moreover, long non-coding RNAs are recently discovered non-coding RNA molecules that regulate various intracellular stimuli to keep homeostasis in balance. A growing body of evidence suggests that lncRNAs are significantly involved in the regulation of inflammation by targeting various inflammatory biomarkers. Accordingly, the present study was aimed to investigate the gene expression levels of inflammation-related lncRNAs in radicular cysts and show their possible roles in the development of radicular cysts. For the study, a total of 25 patients with a radiologically and pathologically confirmed radicular cyst were enrolled. For the determination of non-coding RNA expression levels, real-time qPCR was used. As a result of the current study, expression levels of PACER and THRIL were found to be significantly elevated in radicular cyst tissues compared to control tissue samples. However, MALAT1, ANRIL, and NEAT1 expression levels were not significantly altered in radicular cyst tissues compared to control tissue samples. In conclusion, long non-coding RNAs, PACER and THRIL, seem to have significant pathophysiological roles by acquiring molecular changes during inflammation and might be involved in the development and formation of radicular cysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to reveal the effects of hypoxia-associated signaling in odontogenic cysts. The expression levels of genes involved in the hypoxia-associated signaling pathway were determined by quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method. As a result, it was found that phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) expression was low (p = 0.037), and the expression levels of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA) (p = 0.0127), hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF1A) (p < 0.001), and HIF1A antisense RNA 1 (HIF1A-AS1) (p = 0.0218) were higher in cyst tissue compared to normal tissue. HIF1A gene expression was found to be significantly altered according to the pathologic subtypes of odontogenic keratocyst, dentigerous cyst, and radicular cyst. Odontogenic cysts were found to have higher expression of HIF1A and HIF1A-AS1, which may be related to the increased hypoxia in these lesions. In addition, PI3K/Akt signaling may be stimulated by increased PIK3CA and decreased PTEN expression, which promote cell survival and support the mechanism of cyst formation. • Stimulation of hypoxia can promote the formation of odontogenic cysts. • HIF1A and HIF1A-AS1 gene expression is increased in odontogenic cysts. • Increased PIK3CA gene expression may stimulate cyst formation. • Low PTEN gene expression can stimulate cyst formation by activating PI3K/Akt signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common form of malignant tumor in the head and neck region worldwide. Hence, the identification of biological signatures with high diagnostic and therapeutic potential for OSCC will be of great clinical importance. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a key driver of malignant transformation of human tumors including OSCC. Loss of epithelial properties and gain of mesenchymal cell properties is one of the most important hallmarks of malignant tumors. Although much has been reported on the protein components of the EMT process, studies on the non-protein coding components are quite limited. Consequently, here we sought to explore biological significance of VIM antisense RNA 1 (VIM-AS1) in OSCC. A total of 36 patients diagnosed with oral cancer were recruited for the study. Formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue samples of patients were obtained from pathology archive. For the gene expression analysis, quantitative RT-PCR was used. We also analyzed the expression levels of E-cadherin and Vimentin. Notably, it was found that the expression levels of VIM-AS1 and Vimentin were significantly elevated, while the expression of E-cadherin was downregulated in OSCC. Deregulation of VIM-AS1 was associated with the clinicopathological features of OSCC patients. ROC analysis also showed that VIM-AS1 is an independent diagnostic biomarker for OSCC. Consequently, our findings suggest a chief role for VIM-AS1 in oral cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the present randomized controlled split-mouth clinical study was to evaluate and compare the clinical anesthetic efficacy of lidocaine and tramadol hydrochloride in orthodontic extractions.Materials and Methods: A total of 32 systemically healthy patients requiring bilaterally maxillary first premolar extractions for orthodontic reasons were included. Each patient received 1.8 mL of lidocaine (36 mg lidocaine HCI and 0.0225 mg epinephrine) on 1 side and 1.8 mL tramadol (50 mg tramadol HCl and 0.0225 mg epinephrine diluted to 1.8 mL by distilled water) on the other side. The anesthetic solutions were infiltrated into the buccal vestibule (local infiltration) based on a computer-generated list. In each patient, the time of anesthetic onset and finish, anesthetic activity, duration of postoperative analgesia, additional analgesic medication, wound healing, possible side effects, and satisfaction levels were recorded intraoperatively and postoperatively for both sides.Results: Although no relevant differences were found between the solutions for anesthetic onset, lidocaine was significantly more effective statistically for the total anesthesia duration. Comparing the anesthetic activity at 5 minutes before extraction, we found that tramadol was significantly more effective statistically compared with lidocaine. Similarly, tramadol was significantly more effective statistically than lidocaine for satisfaction level and wound healing. Moreover, compared with tramadol, in terms of postoperative pain, the visual analog scale scores with lidocaine were significantly higher at statistically 7, 8, 9, and 10 hours during the first 12 hours. In general, the lidocaine values were dramatically higher than were the tramadol values.Conclusions: The results of the present study suggest that using tramadol combined with epinephrine can be an alternative local anesthetic for maxillary first premolar tooth extractions in oral-maxillofacial surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancers of the lips and oral cavity are a leading cause of death worldwide. Although they account for only 2% of the global cancer burden, they significantly affect the comfort of patients and eventually lead to a person's death. Also, defects in the cellular stress response and apoptosis mechanisms regulated by p53 activity is an important hallmark of cancer cells. Here, we aimed to decipher miRNAs associated with cellular stress response and apoptosis mechanisms regulated by p53 activity in patient with lower lip cancer and reveal the association of these miRNAs with the clinical course of the disease. The present research included a total of 40 eligible individuals with pathologically confirmed lower lip cancer diagnosis. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples of patients were obtained, and miRNAs expressions were analyzed by qPCR. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine p53 and Ki67 expression status. While three of these miRNAs (miR-130a, −375, and −128a) were found to be elevated in tumor cells compared to normal tissues of lower lip cancer patients, five were downregulated (let-7a, −7b, −7c, and miR-138, −23a), but only three were significantly altered. Particularly, we identified three miRNA signatures in which miR-128a was significantly upregulated and miR-23a and let-7c were significantly downregulated in patients with lower lip cancer. Remarkably, let-7c identified to be a promising prognostic factor for lip cancer. Our findings demonstrate that these miRNAs play important regulatory roles in lower lip cancer pathobiology, highlighting their potential relevance in diagnosis and prognosis of these patients. Moreover, these miRNAs can be targeted in future therapeutic interventions against lower lip cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in high-throughput genomic technologies have enabled the identification of numerous selective tumor markers. However, adapting these newly identified markers to clinical practice is not always possible because most RNA molecules, including mRNAs of protein-coding genes and long non-coding RNAs, are not stable under laboratory conditions, making their testing a major challenge. In contrast to long RNA molecules, miRNAs offer a great advantage in that they are relatively stable due to their small size. Accordingly, herein we aimed to determine the expression levels of miRNAs that are involved in Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue samples of patients with salivary gland tumors. A total of 42 patients with salivary gland tumors were included in the study. The miRNA expression signatures were evaluated using the RT-qPCR. As a result, β-catenin positivity was observed in all salivary gland tumors without distinguishing between benign and malignant phenotypes. Remarkably, we found that miR-200a and miR-373 were significantly upregulated whereas miR-30c were downregulated in tissues of patients with salivary gland tumors, compared to adjacent healthy tissue samples. In addition, distinct expression signatures of these miRNAs were significantly associated with the clinicopathological findings of patients such as perineural invasion and lymph node metastasis. Additionally, miR-145 and miR-30a were found to be specifically downregulated in a mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Also, miR-26b was selectively increased in pleomorphic adenomas of the salivary gland. Collectively, our findings suggest that these miRNAs may play chief roles in the differential diagnosis of salivary gland tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]