This study showed an interaction between oral bacteria, lifestyle factors and genetic polymorphisms on the risk of oral cancer. The results also provided biological support for the established ...association between poor oral hygiene and oral cancer risk.
Abstract
Poor oral hygiene may lead to overgrowth of pathogenic oral bacteria, which may induce chronic inflammation to promote the oncogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). This study investigated the association between oral bacterial profile and OSCC risk in a case-control study of 138 OSCC cases and 151 controls (88 cases and 90 controls for the discovery group and 50 cases and 61 controls for the validation group). Oral bacterial profiles were characterized by targeted sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Three species of periodontopathogenic bacteria, Prevotella tannerae, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Prevotella intermedia, were associated with an increased OSCC risk. This association was modified by the genetic polymorphisms of TLR2 and TLR4. Use of alcohol, betel quids and cigarettes and poor oral hygiene were associated with a higher percentage of oral periodontopathogenic bacteria. The association between alcohol and periodontopathogenic bacteria was modified by the genetic polymorphism of ALDH2, with a stronger positive association observed among the ALDH2-deficient individuals. The percentage of periodontopathogenic bacteria was positively correlated with the level of salivary IL1β, an inflammatory cytokine. Overall, our results showed a positive association between periodontopathogenic bacteria and OSCC risk and this relationship may be influenced by lifestyle and genetic factors. Our results provided further biological support for the established association between poor oral hygiene and OSCC risk. This suggested that improving oral hygiene may reduce OSCC risk and should be part of a public health campaign to prevent the occurrence of OSCC.
microRNA (miRNA) dysregulation contributes widely to human cancer but has not been fully assessed in oral cancers. In this study, we conducted a global microarray analysis of miRNA expression in 40 ...pairs of betel quid-associated oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) specimens and their matched nontumorous epithelial counterparts. Eighty-four miRNAs were differentially expressed in the OSCC specimens compared with the matched tissue. Among these downregulated miRNAs, 19 miRNAs were found and mapped to the chromosome 14q32.2 miRNA cluster region, which resides within a parentally imprinted region designated as Dlk-Dio3 and known to be important in development and growth. Bioinformatic analysis predicted two miRNAs from the cluster region, miR329 and miR410, which could potentially target Wnt-7b, an activator of the Wnt-β-catenin pathway, thereby attenuating the Wnt-β-catenin signaling pathway in OSCC. Stable ectopic expression of Wnt-7b in OSCC cells overexpressing miR329 or miR410 restored proliferation and invasion capabilities abolished by these miRNA. Combining a demethylation agent and a histone deacetylase inhibitor was sufficient to reexpress miR329, miR410, and Meg3, consistent with epigenetic regulation of these miRNA in human OSCC. Specifically, arecoline, a major betel nut alkaloid, reduced miR329, miR410, and Meg3 gene expression. Overall, our results provide novel molecular insights into how betel quid contributes to oral carcinogenesis through epigenetic silencing of tumor-suppressor miRNA that targets Wnt-β-catenin signaling.
The Asia Renal Denervation Consortium consensus conference of Asian physicians actively performing renal denervation (RDN) was recently convened to share up-to-date information and regional ...perspectives, with the goal of consensus on RDN in Asia. First- and second-generation trials of RDN have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of this treatment modality for lowering blood pressure in patients with resistant hypertension. Considering the ethnic differences of the hypertension profile and demographics of cardiovascular disease demonstrated in the SYMPLICITY HTN (Renal Denervation in Patients With Uncontrolled Hypertension)-Japan study and Global SYMPLICITY registry data from Korea and Taiwan, RDN might be an effective hypertension management strategy in Asia. Patient preference for device-based therapy should be considered as part of a shared patient-physician decision process. A practical population for RDN treatment could consist of Asian patients with uncontrolled essential hypertension, including resistant hypertension. Opportunities to refine the procedure, expand the therapy to other sympathetically mediated diseases, and explore the specific effects on nocturnal and morning hypertension offer a promising future for RDN. Based on available evidence, RDN should not be considered a therapy of last resort but as an initial therapy option that may be applied alone or as a complementary therapy to antihypertensive medication.
Background: Patients who survive myocardial infarction (MI) are at risk of recurrent cardiovascular (CV) events. This study stratified post-MI patients for risk of recurrent CV events using the ...Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) Risk Score for Secondary Prevention (TRS 2°P). Methods and Results: This was an observational study that applied TRS 2°P to a consecutive cohort of post-MI patients. The primary outcome was a composite endpoint of CV death, non-fatal MI, and non-fatal ischemic stroke. A total of 1,688 post-MI patients (70.3±13.6 years; male, 63.1%) were enrolled. After a mean follow-up of 41.5±34.4 months, 405 patients (24.0%) had developed a primary outcome (9.3%/year) consisting of 278 CV deaths, 134 non-fatal MI, and 33 non-fatal strokes. TRS 2°P was strongly associated with the primary outcome. The annual incidence of primary composite endpoint for patients with TRS 2°P 0 was 1.0%, and increased progressively to 39.9% for those with TRS 2°P ≥6 (HR, 27.6; 95% CI: 9.87–77.39, P<0.001). The diagnostic sensitivity of TRS 2°P for the primary composite endpoint was 76.3% (95% CI: 72.1–80.5%). Similar associations were also observed between TRS 2°P and CV death and non-fatal MI, but not non-fatal ischemic stroke. Conclusions: TRS 2°P reliably stratified post-MI patients for risk of future CV events.
•Gay and bisexual men found it difficult to access human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) services during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.•Difficulties in accessing HIV services were ...associated with frequency of having sex with casual partners.•Participants reported disruption in work/studies and reduced connection to the LGBT+ community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in the disruption of provision of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) services. This study examined the factors associated with difficulties in accessing HIV services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
An online survey of 236 Chinese-speaking gay and bisexual men in Hong Kong conducted in 2020.
Among those who expressed a need to access HIV services during the COVID-19 pandemic, 22.9%, 33.9% and 43.2% indicated moderate-to-high, mild and no difficulties in accessing these services, respectively. Difficulties in accessing HIV services were positively related to concerns about potential COVID-19 infection, experience of actual impact on health because of COVID-19, disruption in work/studies, and reduced connection to the LGBT+ community during the pandemic. It was also found that difficulties in accessing HIV services were positively associated with frequency of having sex with casual partners, but were not significantly associated with frequency of having sex with regular partners.
This study provides novel empirical evidence for understanding difficulties in accessing HIV services during the COVID-19 pandemic. It found that disruption in work/studies and frequency of having sex with casual partners were associated with difficulties in accessing HIV services.
Highlights • Developed quantitative analysis of autofluorescence images for oral cancer screen. • Quadratic discriminant analysis was utilized to compute a boundary. • Oral cancer and precancer ...lesions can be discriminated from normal oral mucosa.
This paper reviews some proficiency testing (PT) programmes operated under the auspices of Asia Pacific Metrology Programme and Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation Joint Proficiency ...Testing Working Group. The assigned values of these joint PTs are traceable to the SI. Provision of PTs based on reference values (PTRVs) with metrological traceability enables meaningful performance evaluation and assessment of metrological comparability of the participants’ results. Special focus will be given to those joint PTs related to analysis of inorganic elements in various sample matrices organized or co-organized by Government Laboratory of Hong Kong, China. Comparison based on different evaluation criteria (i.e. consensus value vs reference value) is carried out. Comprehensive evaluation and review of some performance indicators revealed several crucial findings such as the performance of different analytical conditions, recent analytical trends and areas of improvements. The organization of a series of these joint PTs could be regarded as a strong support of the concept that PTRV with metrological traceable reference values is an effective way to promote the concept of metrological traceability to the field laboratories and provide a meaningful performance evaluation tool for assessment of PT performance.
Background: The midface plays an important role in the judgment of symmetry. However, studies on three-dimensional analyses of midface asymmetry are limited. This study investigated the ...characteristics of midface asymmetry in skeletal Class III malocclusion patients through three-dimensional analysis. Methods: Sixty-eight adult subjects with skeletal Class III malocclusion were included and divided into mandible symmetry and asymmetry groups. The prevalence of recognizable malar asymmetry and the deviation of anterior nasal spine (ANS) were examined. The relation between midface and mandible asymmetry were investigated with Spearman correlation. The difference in distance of landmarks to reference planes were compared between the two groups using Mann–Whitney U test (p < 0.05). Results: The overall prevalence of malar asymmetry was 7.35% and of ANS deviation was 38.24%. In subjects with chin deviated to the right, there was a moderate negative correlation between chin deviation and difference of zygion and zygomatic process to mid-sagittal plane. The absolute value of difference in the glenoid fossa was significantly greater in female asymmetry subjects. Conclusions: The prevalence of midface asymmetry is not low. The more severely the chin is shifted, the greater asymmetrical position of the zygoma and glenoid fossa was found. Therefore, pre-surgical case-by-case evaluation of the midface region is essential for understanding the midface skeletal characteristics of Class III patients with chin deviation, thereby providing patients with realistic expectations and optimizing surgical outcomes and patient satisfaction.
We created a two-channel autofluorescence test to detect oral cancer. The wavelengths 375 and 460 nm, with filters of 479 and 525 nm, were designed to excite and detect reduced-form nicotinamide ...adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) autofluorescence. Patients with oral cancer or with precancerous lesions, and a control group with healthy oral mucosae, were enrolled. The lesion in the autofluorescent image was the region of interest. The average intensity and heterogeneity of the NADH and FAD were calculated. The redox ratio (NADH)/(NADH + FAD) was also computed. A quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA) was used to compute boundaries based on sensitivity and specificity. We analyzed 49 oral cancer lesions, 34 precancerous lesions, and 77 healthy oral mucosae. A boundary (sensitivity: 0.974 and specificity: 0.898) between the oral cancer lesions and healthy oral mucosae was validated. Oral cancer and precancerous lesions were also differentiated from healthy oral mucosae (sensitivity: 0.919 and specificity: 0.755). The two-channel autofluorescence detection device and analyses of the intensity and heterogeneity of NADH, and of FAD, and the redox ratio combined with a QDA classifier can differentiate oral cancer and precancerous lesions from healthy oral mucosae.
Introduction The miniscrew has been developed and effectively used as orthodontic anchorage, but current studies of its usage are insufficient to provide information about the underlying mechanical ...mechanisms. The aim of this study was to investigate the roles of bone quality, loading conditions, screw effects, and implanted depth on the biomechanics of an orthodontic miniscrew system by using finite element analysis. Methods A 3-dimensional model with a bone block integrated with a miniscrew was constructed to simulate various cortex thicknesses, cancellous bone densities, force magnitudes and directions, screw diameters and lengths, and implanted depths of miniscrews. Results Both stress and displacement increased with decreasing cortex thickness, whereas cancellous bone density played a minor role in the mechanical response. These 2 indexes were linearly proportional to the force magnitude and produced the highest values when the force was perpendicular to the long axis of the miniscrew. A wider screw provided superior mechanical advantages. The exposed length of the miniscrew was the real factor affecting mechanical performance. Conclusions The screw diameter was the dominant factor for minscrew mechanical responses. Both bone stress and screw displacement decreased with increasing screw diameter and cortex thickness, and decreasing exposed length of the screw, force magnitude, and oblique loading direction.
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