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The expression of anchorage independence in malignant oral epithelial cells retrieved from colonies formed in agarose and tumours formed in athymic mice was examined. The original epithelial cell lines were derived from lingual and palatal squamous cell carcinomas induced in rats by the carcinogen 4-nitroquinoline N-oxide. The capacity to express anchorage independence varied considerably between the original cell lines and essentially increased with passage in culture. In three out of four colony-derived subpopulations, the colony-forming efficiency was significantly greater than that of the original cell lines. Xenograft subpopulations expressed higher colony-forming efficiencies than their original counterparts in only two of five cell lines. Undifferentiated tumour xenografts resulted in more homogeneous tumour-derived subpopulations, in contrast to the more heterogeneous cell lines from well-differentiated tumours. The findings demonstrate functional diversity within and between malignant rat oral epithelial cell lines and their colony- and xenograft-derived subpopulations.

The chemotactic, chemokinetic and phagocytic capacity of neutrophils from blood and from gingival crevicular washings of the same subjects were compared in visual assays, i.e. time-lapse cinematography and an orientation assay. A high proportion of the cells in both populations was motile, but the mean speed of locomotion of the crevicular cells was lower than that of the blood cells, indicating a relative impairment of chemokinesis. The differences between blood and crevicular cells in their capacity to migrate towards and phagocytose blastospores of Candida albicans in fresh serum were not significant, though crevicular cells were slightly less efficient in orienting towards sources of chemotactic gradients of various factors. Thus there is not a major defect of chemotaxis or phagocytosis of crevicular neutrophils.

La localisation de l'erytheme migrant est habituellement lingual et est communement appele langue geographique ou glossite exfoliatrice benigne. Un cas inhabituel de localisation au palais est decrit

The growth of surface films in electrolytes is a subject that covers a wide range of phenomena concerned with many different metals and alloys. At one end of the range are thin passive films (

A 2-year-old white girl had acute oral ulceration, gingivitis, pyrexia, cervical lymph node enlargement, and a generalized, initially macular and later purpuric rash. None of the common oral viral infections, with the exception of chickenpox, is usually associated with a rash. This presented a diagnostic dilemma that appears not previously to have been reported in the dental literature.

The aim of the present study was to examine idiopathic lichen planus for possible changes in the serum concentration of the immunological marker beta 2 microglobulin (beta 2m), a component of HLA antigens. It was shown that serum levels of beta 2m were not different in lichen planus from those in controls. Although these findings do not support major systemic immunopathological changes in lichen planus, they do not exclude the involvement of local immune mechanisms.

The oral mucosa is similar in structure to skin, consisting of stratified squamous epithelium, but it lacks a stratum lucidum and appendages such as hair and apocrine glands. Essentially protective in nature, the oral mucosa is extremely sensitive, more so than most areas of skin, and in certain regions contains taste buds, in others minor salivary glands.

Xerostomia is the main oral symptom and clinical sign in Sjögren's syndrome (SS) but there are many other causes of a dry mouth. Salivary gland enlargement is a further feature but may be episodic. Xerostomia is a subjective symptom which can be non-invasively assessed by sialometry but this is too variable, insensitive and non-specific to be diagnostic of SS. Sialochemistry, though conceptually appealing is nondiscriminatory and of little diagnostic value. Sialographic changes in SS are not specific and generally regarded as insensitive, though this has recently been questioned. Salivary scintigraphy may be of some value because it is relatively non-invasive and examines all glands simultaneously and over a period of time; but it is non-specific. Lower labial salivary gland biopsy gives more specific diagnostic information than most other investigations but must be carried out and interpreted using strict criteria.

Rheumatic diseases will often affect the temporomandibular joint, but other orofacial tissues may also show manifestations. This article, based on a lecture given at the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Bath, is intended to help the dental practitioner recognize and treat these symptoms.

Summary β2Microglobulin (β2m), a constituent of cell surface histocompatibility antigens, was measured in scrum from twenty-eight patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis, twenty-four patients with Behcet's syndrome and twenty-eight matched controls. Serum β2m concentrations were significantly greater in recurrent aphthous stomatitis and in Behcet's syndrome than controls, but failed to differentiate the two diseases.

Fifteen patients suffering from intransigent desquamative gingivitis due to lichen planus or benign mucous membrane pemphigoid were treated with dapsone (diphenylsulphapyridine) over a 3-month period. Twelve patients completed the trial. Therapeutic benefit was estimated clinically with the aid of 35mm color transparencies taken at 4-week intervals; and subjectively by the patients estimating their progress as worse, no change, some improvement or complete recovery. Taken as a whole, some 58% of patients had some benefit from therapy. Of the 7 patients with lichen planus, 1 showed complete recovery and 3 showed some improvement. In the 5 patients with desquamative gingivitis due to mucous membrane pemphigoid, 3 showed some improvement and 2 received no benefit. Three patients withdrew from the trial due to side effects of the dapsone such as headaches and nausea. It is concluded that dapsone therapy may be of some use in the management of desquamative gingivitis when traditional treatments have failed. Patients should be warned of the possibility of side effects.

Circulating immune complexes were determined in 48 patients with oral squamous cell cancer, 17 patients with oral keratosis and 49 controls, using a rapid sensitive assay using a Staphylococcus aureus immunoadsorbent. Concentrations of immune complexes were significantly higher in patients with oral cancer and in patients with oral keratosis than in controls, but the levels in those with oral cancer were not significantly different from those in keratosis. Immune complexes might be responsible for the cell-mediated immune defect in patients with cancer in the head and neck.