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The aim of this study was to determine the effects of age and sex on the difference between chronological age (CA) and dental age (DA) predicted using the Demirjian and Willems methods in Taiwanese children. A total of 232 periapical X-ray images were obtained from children aged 5–12 years in Taiwan. Among them, 119 were boys, and 113 were girls. DA was calculated on the basis of the X-ray images of permanent teeth by using the aforementioned methods. The children were stratified by age (5–9 years [early mixed dentition period] vs. 10–12 years [late mixed dentition period]) and sex (boys vs. girls). Statistical analyses were performed to investigate potential age- and sex-based differences in the correlation between CA and DA. No significant difference was observed between the mean CA and DA predicted using the Willems method in children with late mixed dentition and in girls. However, the correlation between CA and DA was stronger in children with early mixed dentition than in those with late mixed dentition and also stronger in boys than in girls. For children in mid-Taiwan, age and sex influence the development of permanent teeth. In addition, the correlation between DA and CA is relatively strong for boys in the early mixed dentition period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1) exhibits diverse and complicated functions in cancer progression. Despite reports suggesting both tumor-suppressive and oncogenic effects in various cancers, its specific role in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between NEAT1 expression levels and survival outcomes in HNSCC patients. Paired tissue samples of tumor and non-cancerous matching tissues (NCMT) from 92 HNSCC patients were collected. NEAT1 expression was analyzed using RT-qPCR. Clinical characteristics, treatment received, and survival rates of the patients were assessed to determine the correlation with NEAT1 expression and explore its association with alcohol, betel quid, and cigarette use. Additionally, we examined the effect of arecoline on NEAT1 expression in normal human oral keratinocytes (NHOK) and fibroblasts (NHOF). The study revealed a significant downregulation of NEAT1 expression in oral cancer tissues compared to NCMT. Meanwhile, arecoline increased NEAT1 expression in NHOK and NHOF cells. However, patients with downregulated NEAT1 expression exhibited higher overall survival rates, particularly in those who did not receive chemotherapy or radiotherapy. NEAT1 expression levels are associated with survival outcomes in HNSCC patients, with upregulated expression indicating a worse prognosis, suggesting this lncRNA might contribute to cancer aggressiveness, especially in the absence of active treatment. These findings indicate NEAT1 may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker in HNSCC, but further research is required to elucidate its role in cancer progression and its potential as a therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autophagy, a prosurvival mechanism offers a protective role during acute kidney injury. We show novel findings on the functional role of RNA binding protein, HuR during hypoxia‐induced autophagy in renal proximal tubular cells‐2 (HK‐2). HK‐2 cells showed upregulated expressions of HuR and autophagy‐related proteins such as autophagy related 7 (ATG7), autophagy related 16 like 1 (ATG16L1), and LC3II under hypoxia. Increased autophagosome formation was visualized as LC3 puncta in hypoxic cells. Further, short hairpin‐RNA‐mediated loss of HuR function in HK‐2 cells significantly decreased ATG7 and ATG16L1 protein expressions. Bioinformatics prediction revealed HuR motif binding on the coding region of ATG7 and AU‐rich element at 3′UTR ATG16L1 messnger RNA (mRNA). The RNA immunoprecipitation study showed that HuR was predominantly associated with ATG7 and ATG16L1 mRNAs under hypoxia. In addition, HuR enhanced autophagosome formation by regulating LC3II expressions. These results show that HuR regulates ATG7 and ATG16L1 expressions and thereby mediate autophagy in HK‐2 cells. Importantly, HuR knockdown cells underwent apoptosis during hypoxia as observed through the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay. Collectively, these findings show the crucial role of HuR under hypoxia by regulating autophagy and suppressing apoptosis in renal tubular cells. Under hypoxic stress in renal tubular cells, HuR translocate into the cytosol and regulates autophagy related 7/autophagy related 16 like 1 expressions and autophagosome formation. HuR promotes autophagy and suppresses apoptosis during cellular adaption to hypoxic stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accurate age estimation is vital in forensic medicine and clinical dentistry. The Demirjian method is commonly used for this purpose, but its applicability to Asian individuals is understudied. The present study evaluated the accuracy of dental age (DA) estimation for Taiwanese children by using the Demirjian, Williems, and modified Demirjian methods, comparing these estimates to those of chronological age (CA) based on panoramic X-ray images., Methods: A total of 232 Taiwanese children aged between 5 and 12 years underwent panoramic X-ray scans. Their permanent teeth were assessed using the Demirjian, Williems, and modified Demirjian methods to estimate DA. Regression analysis was employed to determine the correlation between CA and DA, with linear regression equations established using SPSS to identify differences., Results: The Willems method had the lowest mean absolute error and the smallest mean difference between DA and CA among the 3 age estimation methods analyzed (p < .001). The R2 value for the difference between DA and CA was 0.831 for the Williems method, 0.813 for the Demirjian method, and 0.782 for the modified Demirjian method (p < .001). The Williems method had the highest correlation with CA, with the linear equation for Taiwanese children being CA = 0.822 × DA + 1.093. For comparison, for the Demirjian method, the equation was CA = 0.894 × DA + 0.165., Conclusion: The effectiveness of predictive methods varies across ethnicities, and therefore, region-specific formulas are required. For Taiwanese children, the Williems method predicts CA most accurately. This study contributes to the fields of legal medicine and clinical dentistry by demonstrating the accuracy of DA in predicting CA., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to the subject matter or materials discussed in this article., (Copyright © 2024, the Chinese Medical Association.)

Background/aim: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play a critical role in inflammation and carcinogenesis, and the expression of mRNA MMP7 in oral squamous cell carcinoma tissues was higher than in the oral lichen planus or normal oral mucosa. However, the genotypic role of MMP7 has never been examined in oral cancer. Therefore, in the current study we aimed to examine the contribution of genotypic variants in the promoter region of MMP7 (A-181G and C-153T) to oral cancer risk in Taiwan., Materials and Methods: In this hospital-based case-control study, 788 patients with oral cancer and 956 gender-and age-matched healthy controls were genotyped for MMP7 A-181G and C-153T via polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methodology., Results: The distribution pattern of AA, AG and GG for MMP7 promoter A-181G genotype was 88.2, 10.4 and 1.4% in the oral cancer patient group and 89.0, 9.3 and 1.7% in the healthy control group, respectively (p for trend=0.6779), non-significantly differentially distributed between the two groups. There is no polymorphic genotype for MMP7 C-153T among Taiwanese. The comparisons in allelic frequency distribution also support the findings that G allele may not be the risk determinant allele for oral cancer. There is no interaction between the genotypes of MMP7 with age, gender, smoking, alcohol or betel quid consumption on oral cancer risk., Conclusion: Our results indicate that the MMP7 promoter genotypes only play an indirect role in determining the personal susceptibility to oral cancer in Taiwan., (Copyright© 2018, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Aim: Metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of multifunctional proteins which have been shown to be up-regulated in various types of cancer. However, the contribution of MMP1 genotype to oral cancer has not been elucidated. This study aimed to evaluate the contribution of MMP1 promoter 1607 genotype to the risk of oral cancer., Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, MMP1 genotype and its interaction with consumption of areca, cigarettes, and alcohol in determining oral cancer risk were investigated in 788 patients with oral cancer and 956 gender-matched healthy controls., Results: The distribution of 2G/2G, 1G/2G and 1G/1G for MMP1 promoter 1607 genotype was 36.8%, 40.2% and 23.0% in the oral cancer group and 34.3%, 44.9% and 20.8% in the non-cancer control group, respectively (p for trend=0.1454). We also analyzed the allelic frequency distributions and found that the variant 1G allele of MMP1 promoter 1607 conferred similar oral cancer susceptibility as the wild-type 2G allele (odds ratio=0.99, 95% confidence interval=0.87-1.14, p=0.9199). As for the gene-lifestyle interaction, there was an obvious protective effect of MMP1 promoter 1607 1G/2G genotype on the risk of oral cancer among smokers (odds ratio=0.71, 95% confidence interval=0.55-0.91, p=0.0076), but not non-smokers. There was no interaction between MMP1 promoter 1607 genotype and areca chewing or alcohol drinking habits., Conclusion: The 1G/2G genotype of MMP1 promoter 1607 may have a protective effect on oral cancer risk for smokers. The detailed mechanisms involved in this require further investigation., (Copyright © 2016 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.)

Odontogenic cysts are classified into 2 main types based on their formation mechanism: inflammatory and developmental. Radicular cysts are the most common inflammatory cysts, while dentigerous cysts are developmental cysts. We report 2 radicular cysts that developed at the apices of nonvital primary teeth and 2 dentigerous cysts. All 4 patients were young girls who experienced swelling in the mandibular molar region. Panoramic radiographs revealed a large cyst under the primary second molar, displacing the permanent second premolar or first molar to near the mandible's lower border. The treatment plan was begun with conservative decompression. Patients were followed up for several years. The process is described.