A combined treatment regimen for desquamative gingivitis in patients with oral lichen planus

2007

Background:  Chronic desquamative gingivitis (DG) is a condition characterized by erythema, ulceration, and desquamation of the free and attached gingiva, usually expression of a district-systemic disease, such as oral lichen planus (OLP). Methods:  A combined protocol of oral hygiene and topic corticosteroid therapy was applied in 30 patients with DG associated with OLP. Plaque index (PI) and bleeding on probing (BoP) were evaluated at baseline and after 3 months. Results:  PI scoring was significantly lower after treatment in anterior, posterior, and all sites (P < 0.0001) as well as in vestibular and lingual ones (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.0001, respectively). BoP measures were found to be re…

Saliva: Its value as a biological matrix and current methods of sampling

2006

Saliva is a non-invasive medium, its analysis is useful to measure a wide range of hormones, drugs, narcotics, antibodies, host, microbial, fungal and viral DNA up to salivary mRNA; hence, it has been suggested to be an easy and reliable biomarker in disease diagnostics, such as inflammatory mouth infections/diseases, and in normal health surveillance. In light of this potential, our primary endpoint is to review the current knowledge on saliva analyses and its recent methods of sampling.

Proceedings of the Closed Round Table and Italian Consensus on Clinical Appropriateness in Oral Medicine and Oral Surgery – Part I

2019

Amorphous Ropinirole-Loaded Mucoadhesive Buccal Film: A Potential Patient-Friendly Tool to Improve Drug Pharmacokinetic Profile and Effectiveness

2020

Nowadays the therapeutic strategies to manage Parkinson&rsquo

A pragmatic window of opportunity to minimise the risk of MRONJ development in individuals with osteoporosis on Denosumab therapy: a hypothesis

2021

Abstract Denosumab is associated with the development of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ), an uncommon but severe oral side effect with a higher prevalence in metastatic cancer patients than in patients with metabolic bone fragility. Although several oral triggers can initiate MRONJ, invasive oral treatments and tooth extraction still remain the most common precipitating event. In general, tooth extraction and oral surgery should be avoided in patients at increased risk of MRONJ, while extraction of non-restorable teeth should be performed based on specific risk reduction protocols to eliminate dental/periodontal infections, still protecting from MRONJ onset. Based on th…

Challenges and Controversies in the Diagnosis of MRONJ

2019

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a relatively rare but potentially seriousand debilitating complication [...]

Proliferative verrucous vs conventional leukoplakia: no significantly increased risk of HPV infection

2004

Proliferative verrucous leukoplakia (PVL) is a very aggressive form of oral leukoplakia (OL) with high morbidity and mortality rates, hypothesised to be linked to HPV infection. This study aimed to determine the presence of HPV DNA in PVL in comparison with OL, and in relation to social-demographical variables (age, gender, smoking and drinking habits) in an Italian multi-centric hospital-based study. The study group consisted of 58 cases of PVL and 90 cases of OL as controls (47 homogeneous (H) and 43 non-homogeneous (non-H) form), both recruited from four Italian cohorts. HPV DNA was identified in exfoliated mucosal cells by nested PCR (nPCR) with MY09/MY11 and GP5+/GP6+ primer pairs and …

Effect of desquamative gingivitis on periodontal status: a pilot study

2010

Objective:  Desquamative gingivitis (DG) represents the gingival manifestation associated with several mucocutaneous disorders and systemic conditions. Little is known of whether or not DG could influence the onset or progression of plaque-related periodontitis. In this study, the potential impact of DG on plaque-related attachment loss and pocket formation has been evaluated. Methods:  A cross-sectional evaluation of 12 patients with DG [eight oral lichen planus (OLP), four mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP)], never treated for DG lesions or plaque-related periodontitis, was carried out. Probing depth (PD), clinical attachment loss (CAL), full-mouth plaque (FMPS), and bleeding (FMBS) scores …

Effectiveness of a new method of disinfecting the root canal, using Er, Cr:YSGG laser to kill Enterococcus faecalis in an infected tooth model.

2013

Some lasers have demonstrated to provide effective disinfection when used as adjunctive device to the conventional treatment. The aim of this in vitro study was to determine the effectiveness of the erbium, chromium:yttrium scandium gallium garnet (Er, Cr:YSGG) laser by measuring its bactericidal effect inside the root canal experimentally colonized with Enterococcus faecalis. The laser was tested at different irradiation times (30 and 60 s) and energy of impulses (75 and 25 mJ). A total of 52 single-rooted extracted human teeth were endodontically prepared with rotary instrumentation. All were sterilized and inoculated with a suspension of E. faecalis (105 bacteria/ml). The teeth were rand…

HPV DNA in clinically different variants of oral leukoplakia and lichen planus

2004

Abstract Objectives Our objectives were to determine the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in oral leukoplakia (OL) and oral lichen planus (OLP) in comparison with that in healthy oral mucosa, also conditionally to age, gender, smoking, and drinking habits of patients, so as to investigate any possible association of HPV infection with a specific clinical variant of OL or OLP. Study design We did research on HPV DNA in 68 cases of OL (homogeneous form [H] in 45 cases and nonhomogeneous form [non-H] in 23 cases), and in 71 cases of OLP (nonatrophic/erosive form [non-AE] in 27 cases, atrophic/erosive form [AE] in 44 cases). HPV DNA was investigated in exfoliated oral mucosa c…

Electrostimulation of the lingual nerve by an intraoral device may lead to salivary gland regeneration: A case series study

2018

Background Salivary gland function is controlled by the salivary reflex, whose efferent arm is composed by the parasympathetic and the sympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system. Parenchymal injury is the main salivary gland involvement of Sjögren’s syndrome and head and neck radiotherapy, but neural damage has been reported as well. Recently an intraoral device for electrostimulation of the lingual nerve in vicinity to the lower third molar has been introduced. At this point this nerve carries efferent fibers for the innervation of the submandibular, sublingual and several minor salivary glands and afferent fibers of the salivary reflex. Therefore, excitation of these fibers pot…

Oral leishmaniasis in an HIV-infected patient.

2000

As in most countries in the Mediterranean basin, leishmaniasis is endemic in Italy, where it has visceral (VL) and cutaneous (CL) forms caused by viscerotropic and dermotropic strains of Leishmania infantum, respectively. With the spread of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic, the number of coinfections with Leishmania and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is increasing. Between 35% and 50% of the adult VL cases diagnosed annually in Sicily from 1991 to 1995 were related to HIV [1]; although cases of coinfection have been reported in 28 countries worldwide, the majority of these cases (1440 from 1990 to 1998) have been notified in four countries (Spain, Italy, France, Po…

TLR4 down-regulation identifies high risk HPV infection and integration in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas

2015

TLRs are main actors of the innate immune response against HPV. There are very few studies on the role of TLRs mediated HPV clearance in Head and Neck oncology. Our aim was to evaluate whether TLR4 expression identifies HPV infection and/or HR-HPV integration status in oral and oropharyngeal cancers. By immunohistochemistry we assessed TLR4 levels in OSCC/OPSCC. To detect viral integration or episomic status In situ hybridization for HPV-DNA and Pyro-sequencing techniques have been performed. The relationship between TLR4 expression with HPV infection status has been investigated. ISH HPV positive samples have reported lower levels of TLR4 intensity than negative samples (p = .002). There w…

Comment on Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw: MASCC/ISOO/ASCO Clinical Practice Guideline Summary

2020

Legal liability in bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw

2014

Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is an adverse reaction that may occur in patients administered with bisphosphonates (BP). This condition can cause high morbidity and hinder quality of life. Its treatment is complex and often unsatisfactory, and prevention strategies may have limited effectiveness, if any. Thus, managing patients treated with BP may result in exposure of the practitioner to legal liability or malpractice claims: legal actions pursuant to BRONJ are reported to be underway on three continents. Nonetheless, the attribution of liability, if any, is a complex process requiring, on the basis of current knowledge, a robust and pragmatic approach to the facts…

Diffusion of naltrexone across reconstituted human oral epithelium and histomorphological features

2006

Abstract In transbuccal absorption a major limitation could be the low permeability of the mucosa which implies low drug bioavailability. The ability of naltrexone hydrochloride (NLX) to penetrate a resembling histologically human buccal mucosa was assessed and the occurrence of any histomorphological changes observed. We used reconstituted human oral (RHO) non-keratinised epithelium as mucosal section and a Transwell diffusion cells system as bicompartmental model. Buccal permeation was expressed in terms of drug flux ( J s ) and permeability coefficients ( K p ). Data were collected using both artificial and natural human saliva. The main finding was that RHO does not restrain NLX permeat…

P-cadherin expression and survival rate in oral squamous cell carcinoma: an immunohistochemical study

2005

Abstract Background P-cadherin (P-cad) is a transmembrane molecule involved in the cell-cell adhesion and similar to E-cadherin (E-cad), but less investigated in oncology, especially in in vivo studies. Aims of the present study were to assess the prevalence of P-cad expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to verify whether P-cad can be considered a marker of prognosis in patients with OSCC. Methods In a retrospective study, a cohort of 67 OSCC patients was investigated for P-cad expression and its cellular localization by immunohistochemistry; some respective healthy margins of resection were similarly investigated as standard controls. After grouping for P-cad expression, OS…

Raccomandazioni cliniche in odontostomatologia

2017

L’Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanità considera la salute orale come parte integrante, non solo dello stato di salute generale, ma anche della qualità della vita di ciascun individuo. In tale ottica, in accordo e con il sostegno del mondo professionale e della comunità scientifica di questo settore, le raccomandazioni cliniche in odontostomatologia contenute nel presente volume forniscono indicazioni e definiscono standard di intervento per la prevenzione e la cura delle più comuni patologie del cavo orale nonché per l’identificazione di percorsi terapeutici appropriati a supporto degli operatori pubblici e privati. Esse costituiscono, inoltre, uno strumento utile per mantenere alto il liv…

Comments on “Diagnosis and Management of Osteonecrosis of the Jaw: A Systematic Review and International Consensus”

2015

HPV infection in relation to OSCC histological grading and TNM stage. Evalutation by traditional statistics and fuzzy logic model

2006

We aimed to evaluate if in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) there is a relationship between histological grading (HG), TNM clinical stage and HPV infection; and to study the performance of fuzzy logic compared to traditional statistics, in the analysis of HPV status and correlates of OSCC. In cross-sectional analysis, the study group comprised 63 patients (mean age 68.89 years (SD ± 11.78), range (32–93); males 28 (44.4%), females 35 (55.6%)) with OSCC histologically diagnosed. HPV-DNA was studied in exfoliated oral epithelial cells by nested PCR (MY09/MY11 and GP5+/GP6+ primers). Data were analysed in parallel by traditional statistics with multivariate analysis and a fuzzy logic (FL) t…

Oral local drug delivery and new perspectives in oral drug formulation

2012

Modern pharmaceutical science has provided us with a wide range of substances to be administered with a wide large variety of dosage forms. Local drug delivery systems have been used for a long time; in particular, for the local therapy of diseases affecting the oral cavity. Although these diseases are often extremely responsive to local therapy, the mouth often presents various difficulties in the application of topical compounds (owing to saliva and the mouth's different functions), resulting in a short retention time of dosage forms with a consequent low therapeutic efficacy. To resolve these limitations, research today concentrates on the development of bioadhesive formulations. This re…

Low rate of oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in women screened for cervical HPV infection in Southern Italy: A cross-sectional study of 140 …

2009

Even though the natural history of cervical and oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been investigated intensely, the possibility that HPV may infect both sites in the same subject is not well documented. This study investigated the frequency of concurrent oral and cervical HPV infection in southern Italian women, in the light of some selected socio-behavioral variables. One hundred forty women (mean age: 36 years), with known cervical HPV status, were analyzed for oral HPV. Age, smoking/drinking habits, clinical and socio-behavioral history were assessed by personal interviews. Oral mucosal cells were collected by oral brushing and HPV DNA was sought by the use of nested PCR ampli…

Oral human papillomavirus infection in women with cervical HPV infection: new data from an Italian cohort and a metanalysis of the literature.

2011

Summary A key issue in oral HPV infection is whether it can be associated with a genital HPV infection, or whether it can be considered as an independent event. This analysis evaluated the frequency and type-concordance of oral HPV infection in women with cervical HPV infection by means of: (i) a cross-sectional study on a sample (n = 98) of Italian women; and (ii) a literature-based metanalysis, including the experimental study the subject of this Paper and nine other published studies (n = 1017), which also examined the influence of oral sampling procedure (oral brushing vs oral rinse) and HIV status on oral HPV detection. The prevalence of oral HPV infection in the Italian study was 14.3…

Biopsy vs. brushing: comparison of two sampling methods for the detection of HPV-DNA in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity

2012

Background: HR HPV infection was proposed as aetiological factor of oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC). HPV frequency in OSCC is highly variable, due to the discrepancy in oral sampling procedures, HPV testing methods and inclusion criteria regarding tumour site (strictly oral cavity vs. nearby structures). Our aim was to compare HPV DNA frequency and type-specific distribution in paired cytological and histological samples of SCC strictly located in oral cavity. The correlation between HPV detection rate by each method of sampling and demographical, behavioural and clinical-pathological variables was also examined. Patients and methods: HPV DNA was detected in brushed cells and formalin-…

Bioactive Scaffolds Based on Amine-Functionalized Gellan Gum for the Osteogenic Differentiation of Gingival Mesenchymal Stem Cells

2022

With the aim to produce a cellularized construct for the guided bone regeneration of dento-alveolar defects, here we produce a porous scaffold using an amine derivative of gellan gum to host gingival mesenchymal stem cells (GMSCs) and allow their osteochondral differentiation. Three derivatives were produced by using the same synthetic procedure, and the viscoelastic properties of their aqueous dispersions were investigated and compared to those of the native polysaccharide to choose the derivative with suitable properties for the scaffold production. Freeze-drying was used to obtain a porous sponge that can be rehydrated with the cells’ suspension to produce an implantable cell containing …

Diagnostic delay in oral squamous cell carcinoma: the role of cognitive and psychological variables

2014

This retrospective study investigated, in two cohorts of subjects living in Southern Italy and awaiting treatment for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), the variables related to diagnostic delay ascribable to the patient, with particular reference to the cognitive and psychological ones. A total of 156 patients with OSCC (mean age: 62 years, M/F: 2.39∶1) were recruited at the Universities of Palermo and Naples. Risk factors related to patient delay included: sociodemographic, health-related, cognitive and psychological variables. The analysis was conducted by considering two different delay ranges: dichotomous (≤1 month vs. >1 month) and polytomous (3 months) delay. Data were investigated…

The patient-doctor relationship: new insights in light of the current Ministerial recommendations regarding Phase 2 of the COVID-19 pandemic

2020

Following the publication of the italian Ministerial recommendations relating to dentistry in Phase 2 of the coViD-19 pandemic (focusing on operational protocols for all dental staff), we believe that the patient/dentist relationship should increasingly take into account the heightened fears and anxious thoughts of patients. this particularly regards patients who are about to undergo dental work. Moreover, dentists should also pay close attention to recent events, which have determined the new recommendations regarding SarS-coV-2 biocontainment. Furthermore, the authors of this paper consider it appropriate to make suggestions and develop interventionist techniques regarding the interface w…

Neoformazione esofitica mandibolare in una giovane paziente

2022

Una donna caucasica di 18 anni si presentava all’osservazione presso il Settore di Medicina Orale (Università degli Studi di Palermo) data la comparsa di una neoformazione localizzata in zona trigono retromolare destro. L’anamnesi patologica non evidenziava la presenza di patologie sistemiche attuali o pregresse. La paziente era in buone condizioni di salute, riferiva di non assumere farmaci e di non avere subito alcun intervento chirurgico; dichiarava di non avere mai fumato. La paziente riferiva un lento e progressivo accrescimento della lesione, in assenza di sintomatologia algica. L’esame obiettivo extra-orale non evidenziava linfoadenopatie latero-cervicali o altre anomalie. All’esame …

Expression of salivary biomarkers in patients with oral mucositis: evaluation by SELDI-TOF/MS.

2016

Objective: This study aims to evaluate changes in proteomic salivary profile of patients with oral mucositis after adjuvant cancer treatments. Materials and Methods: Samples were collected from patients after adjuvant cancer therapies, and were analyzed by means of SELDI/TOF. Patients were separated in two groups: patients affected by mucositis (MUCOSITIS) and patient without mucositis (NO MUCOSITIS). All patients were divided in function of the anticancer treatment: patients who had radiotherapy (MUCOSITIS RADIO), had not radiotherapy (MUCOSITIS NO RADIO), had chemotherapy (MUCOSITIS CHEMO), and those who had not chemotherapy (MUCOSITIS NO CHEMO). Statistical evaluation PCA (Principal Comp…

Simplifying the dental/periodontal management of patients with metabolic bone fragility receiving treatment with denosumab

2020

Denosumab (DNB) is a bone-targeted medication used to preserve structural integrity and minimise the risk of fragility fractures in metastatic cancer and metabolic bone disorders. DNB targets and binds RANK Ligand, inhibiting osteoclast maturation, function, and survival. In contrast with nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (N-BPs), DNB does not bind to hydroxyapatite and incorporate into bone; thus, bone cellular remodelling recovers rapidly after drug suspension. Denosumab has benn linked to the occurrence of osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ), a uncommon but severe oral side effect with a higher prevalence in metastatic cancer patients than in patients with metabolic bone fragility. Althou…

A Teledentistry system for the second opinion

2014

In this paper we present a Teledentistry system aimed to the Second Opinion task. It make use of a particular camera called intra-oral camera, also called dental camera, in order to perform the photo shooting and real-time video of the inner part of the mouth. The pictures acquired by the Operator with such a device are sent to the Oral Medicine Expert (OME) by means of a current File Transfer Protocol (FTP) service and the real-time video is channeled into a video streaming thanks to the VideoLan client/server (VLC) application. It is composed by a HTML5 web-pages generated by PHP and allows to perform the Second Opinion both when Operator and OME are logged and when one of them is offline.

Evaluation of Galantamine transbuccal absorption by reconstituted human oral epithelium and porcine tissue as buccal mucosa models: Part I

2008

Over the last decade, interest in delivering drugs through buccal mucosa has increased. As a major limitation in buccal drug delivery could be the low permeability of the epithelium, the aim of this study was to evaluate the aptitude of galantamine, useful in Alzheimer's disease, to penetrate the buccal mucosa. The evaluation of the ability of galantamine to permeate through the buccal epithelium was investigated using two permeation models. Firstly, in vitro permeation experiments were carried out using reconstituted human oral non-keratinised epithelium and Transwell diffusion cells system. Results were validated by ex vivo experiments using porcine buccal mucosa as membrane and Franz typ…

Citations and metrics of journals discontinued from Scopus for publication concerns: the GhoS(t)copus Project

2020

Background: Scopus is a leading bibliometric database. It contains a large part of the articles cited in peer-reviewed publications. The journals included in Scopus are periodically re-evaluated to ensure they meet indexing criteria and some journals might be discontinued for 'publication concerns'. Previously published articles may remain indexed and can be cited. Their metrics have yet to be studied. This study aimed to evaluate the main features and metrics of journals discontinued from Scopus for publication concerns, before and after their discontinuation, and to determine the extent of predatory journals among the discontinued journals. Methods: We surveyed the list of discontinued jo…

Proceedings of the Closed Round Table and Italian Consensus on the Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of Jaws (MRONJ) at the Symposium of Italian Socie…

2019

Lipid Nanocarriers-Loaded Nanocomposite as a Suitable Platform to Release Antibacterial and Antioxidant Agents for Immediate Dental Implant Placement…

2021

Immediate implant placement is a single-stage restorative approach for missing teeth widely used to overcome the ridge remodeling process occurring after dental extractions. The success of this procedure relies on opportune osseointegration in the surrounding tissues. To support this process, a multifunctional nanocomposite, to be applied in the fresh post-extraction socket, was here designed, prepared, and characterized. This formulation consists of quercetin (QRC)-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) entrapped in a chitosan-based solid matrix containing ciprofloxacin (CPX). QRC-NLCs were prepared by homogenization followed by high-frequency sonication, and thereafter this dispersio…

Coeliac disease: Oral ulcer prevalence, assessment of risk and association with gluten-free diet in children.

2008

Aims. Oral mucosal lesions may be markers of chronic gastrointestinal disorders, such as those causing malabsorption. Our objectives were to assess the prevalence of recurrent oral aphthous-like ulcers in coeliac disease patients living in the Mediterranean area, and to evaluate the impact of a gluten-free diet. Methods. A test group of 269 patients (age range 3-17 years) with coeliac disease confirmed both serologically and histologically was compared with a control group of 575 otherwise clinically healthy subjects for the presence, or a positive history of aphthous-like ulcers. Coeliac disease patients with aphthous-like ulcers were re-evaluated 1-year after starting a gluten-free diet. …

Salivary Biomarkers for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Diagnosis and Follow-Up: Current Status and Perspectives.

2019

Oral cancer is the sixth most common cancer type in the world, and 90% of it is represented by oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Despite progress in preventive and therapeutic strategies, delay in OSCC diagnosis remains one of the major causes of high morbidity and mortality; indeed the majority of OSCC has been lately identified in the advanced clinical stage (i.e., III or IV). Moreover, after primary treatment, recurrences and/or metastases are found in more than half of the patients (80% of cases within the first 2 years) and the 5-year survival rate is still lower than 50%, resulting in a serious issue for public health. Currently, histological investigation represents the “gold stan…

Potential transbuccal delivery of l-DOPA methylester prodrug: stability in the environment of the oral cavity and ability to cross the mucosal tissue

2016

Levodopa (l-DOPA) is the most effective pharmacologic agent in Parkinson's disease and remains the "gold standard". Nevertheless, in long-term treatments, dyskinesias and motor complications can emerge. In this work, the combined use of l-DOPA methylester hydrochloride prodrug (LDME) with transbuccal drug delivery was supposed as a good alternative method to optimize the bioavailability of l-DOPA, to maintain constant plasma levels and to decrease the drug unwanted effects. The effects of environmental pH on buccal delivery of LDME were evaluated ex vivo. The increase of pH value from 5.8 to 6.2 implies an improvement of drug permeation. Since the pH increase causes the raising of hydrolyti…

Possible role for IL-40 and IL-40-producing cells in the lymphocytic infiltrated salivary glands of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome

2023

ObjectivesAim of this study was to investigate the expression of interleukin (IL)-40, a new cytokine associated with B cells homoeostasis and immune response, in primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) and in pSS-associated lymphomas.Methods29 patients with pSS and 24 controls were enrolled. Minor salivary gland (MSG) biopsies from patients, controls and parotid gland biopsies from pSS-associated lymphoma were obtained. Quantitative gene expression analysis by TaqMan real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry for IL-40 were performed on MSG. MSG cellular sources of IL-40 were determined by flow-cytometry and immunofluorescence. Serum concentration of IL-40 was assessed by ELISA and cellular sources of I…

Galantamine delivery on buccal mucosa: permeation enhancement and design of matrix tablets

2009

The most important feature in transbuccal drug delivery is the low drug passage through the buccal mucosa. In our previous work we demonstrated the aptitude of Galantamine to penetrate the buccal tissue. The collected data suggested that Galantamine passively crosses the membrane, but the calculated Js and Kp values showed that the drug amount that crosses the membrane wasn’t sufficient to assure blood therapeutic level. So, in this study, ex vivo permeation tests, using porcine buccal mucosa, were performed in presence of physical or chemical enhancers. No significant differences in penetration rate were observed using chemical enhancers as sodium dehydrocholate, EDTA disodium salt and tri…

Osteonecrosi dei mascellari associata a bisfosfonati, denosumab e farmaci anti-angiogenetici nei pazienti oncologici e osteoporotici: diagnosi e tera…

2013

Riassunto Obiettivi Fornire un percorso utile alla diagnosi e al trattamento dell’osteonecrosi delle ossa mascellari (solitamente definita ONJ, OsteoNecrosis of the Jaws). Materiali e metodi Gli autori del lavoro, recentemente estensori e collaboratori – su mandato della Societa Italiana di Chirurgia Maxillo-Facciale (SICMF) e della Societa Italiana di Patologia e Medicina Orale (SIPMO), delle Raccomandazioni clinico-terapeutiche sull’osteonecrosi delle ossa mascellari associata a bisfosfonati e sua prevenzione – hanno esaminato le informazioni scientifiche disponibili in merito alla ONJ associata all’assunzione sia di bisfosfonati sia di denosumab e/o anti-angiogenetici, e revisionato l’ep…

The production of the oral mucosa of antiendomysial and anti-tissue-transglutaminase antibodies in patients with celiac disease: a review.

2010

Celiac disease (CD) is a lifelong, T cell—mediated enteropathy, triggered by the ingestion of gluten and related prolamins in genetically susceptible subjects, resulting in minor intestinal mucosal injury, including villous atrophy with crypt hyperplasia and intraepithelial lymphocytosis, and subsequent nutrient malabsorption. Although serological tests for antiendomysial (EMA) and anti—tissue transglutaminase (anti-tTG) autoantibodies are used to screen and follow up on patients with CD, diagnostic confirmation is still based on the histological examination of the small intestinal mucosa. Although the small intestinal mucosa is the main site of the gut involved in CD, other mucosal surface…

Diagnostic Concordance between Optical Coherence Tomography and Histological Investigations for Immune-Mediated Desquamative Gingivitis: Observationa…

2021

Desquamative gingivitis (DG) denotes a heterogeneous immune-mediated disease for which early diagnosis represents a great challenge. The main aim of this study is to validate diagnostic concordance between specific Optical Coherence Tomography (OTC) patterns for DG related to oral Lichen Planus (OLP), Pemphigus Vulgaris (PV), and Mucous Membrane Pemphigoid (MMP) and definitive histological diagnosis. Forty-three patients with suspected immune-mediated DGs, were progressively recruited. Before biopsy, an OCT preliminary evaluation was performed using specific pre-determined OCT diagnostic patterns (i.e., morphology and localization of blisters, status of the basal membrane, epithelial thickn…

Peri-Tumoral Inflammatory Cell Infiltration in OSCC: A Reliable Marker of Local Recurrence and Prognosis? An Investigation Using Artificial Neural Ne…

2011

The presence of inflammatory reaction in peri-tumoural connective tissue is generally considered as a defense mechanism against cancer, but inflammation tissue in malignant transformation and early steps of oncogenesis has been recently proven to play a supporting and aggravating role in some carcinomas. Aims of this retrospective study were to evaluate in OSCCs the independent association of peri-tumoral inflammatory infiltrate (PTI) with local recurrence (LR) or survival outcome, and to verify whether PTI can be considered a marker of prognosis. Data from 211 cases of OSCC, only surgically treated between 1990 and 2000, were collected and retrospectively analyzed for PTI and the event LR…

Human papillomaviruses in oral carcinoma and oral potentially malignant disorders: a systematic review

2011

Oral Diseases (2011) 17 (Suppl. 1), 58–72 Objectives:  Human papillomavirus (HPV) in oral carcinoma (OSCC) and potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) is controversial. The primary aim was to calculate pooled risk estimates for the association of HPV with OSCC and OPMD when compared with healthy oral mucosa as controls. We also examined the effects of sampling techniques on HPV detection rates. Methods:  Systematic review was performed using PubMed (January 1966–September 2010) and EMBASE (January 1990–September 2010). Eligible studies included randomized controlled, cohort and cross-sectional studies. Pooled data were analysed by calculating odds ratios, using a random effects model. Risk o…

Spray-Dried Cytisine-Loaded Matrices: Development of Transbuccal Sustained-Release Tablets as a Promising Tool in Smoking Cessation Therapy

2022

Cytisine (CYT) has emerged as a promising molecule to treat nicotine addiction, since it acts as a partial agonist of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. However, its unfavorable pharmacokinetic properties lead to multiple administrations per day, reducing the patient’s compliance and increasing the side effects. To overcome these drawbacks, CYT buccal administration is here proposed. Firstly, CYT stability in the buccal environment was assessed and its intrinsic ability to permeate/penetrate the tissue was determined by applying CYT solutions at increasing concentrations. Furthermore, a spray-drying method was selected and optimized as it is an eco-friendly, easily scalable and effective te…

Risk factors of oral candidosis: a twofold approach of study by fuzzy logic and traditional statistic.

2007

Abstract Objective To assess a panel of risk factors associated to oral candidosis (OC) onset and its chronic maintenance by means of fuzzy logic (FL) approach and statistical traditional methodology (STM); to investigate their casual relationship within a multifactorial framework. Design Case–control study. Setting One hospital-based clinic. Patients Eighty-nine patients with OC infection microbiologically diagnosed and 98 healthy subjects were consecutively recruited. Outcome measurements Anamnestic and clinical evaluations for OC, microbiological assessment (i.e. culture, CFU/mL counting and identification) were performed. The commonest predisposing factors for OC onset and its chronic s…

Novel non-invasive Adjunctive Techniques for Early Oral Cancer Diagnosis and Oral Lesions Examination

2012

Oral cancer is a potentially fatal disease with an increasing incidence and an unchanged 5-year mortality rate. Unfortunately, oral cancer is often still late diagnosed, which leads to an increase in the likelihood of functional impairment due to treatment and mortality rate. Definitive diagnosis of oral cancer must be confirmed by scalpel biopsy and histological assessment. However despite its benefits, scalpel biopsy is invasive and it is burdened by a potential morbidity. Furthermore, previous studies have suggested a high degree of intraobserver and interobserver variability regarding the histological evaluation of malignancy. As a consequence, in recent years there has been a growing a…

Inflated citations and metrics of journals discontinued from Scopus for publication concerns: the GhoS(t)copus Project

2020

AbstractBackgroundScopus is a leading bibliometric database. It contains the largest number of articles cited in peer-reviewed publications. The journals included in Scopus are periodically re-evaluated to ensure they meet indexing criteria and some journals might be discontinued for publication concerns. These journals remain indexed and can be cited. Their metrics have yet to be studied. This study aimed to evaluate the main features and metrics of journals discontinued from Scopus for publication concerns, before and after their discontinuation, and to determine the extent of predatory journals among the discontinued journals.MethodsWe surveyed the list of discontinued journals from Scop…

Oral self-injuries: clinical findings in a series of 19 patients

2015

Objectives: Self-injury (SI) is defined as a behavioral disturbance consisting of a deliberate harm to one’s own body without suicidal intent, it is not uncommon and ranges in severity from simple nail-biting to more extreme forms of self-mutilation. The head neck region may be the target of such lesions. SI is associated with several medical conditions, of which it can represent the first clinical sign. Aim of this paper is to describe a series of oral SI, giving special emphasis to the clinical findings, etiology and the management of lesions. Material and Methods: A total of 19 patients with oral SI were prospectively examined; attention was paid to the occurrence and characterization of…

Review of: "Teriparatide Promotes Bone Healing in Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw: A Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Trial"

2020

The pathophysiology of aging bone jaw: primary and secondary prevention

2010

The skeleton is composed of approximately 200 bones, and it is the backbone of our body along with ligaments and joints. The bone is not a static but a dynamic structure, constantly reshuffling, that may suffer fractures due to trauma, despite their particular hardness and strength. Complex physiologic mechanisms, sometimes with the help of surgery, can lead to bone repairing. In the elderly, often, the skeletal system can be affected by osteoporosis, a "silent disease" that causes fragile bones especially of the vertebrae and femur; its contributing factors are menopause (in women), smoking, nutritional deficiencies, systemic diseases or prolonged use of drugs. The masticatory apparatus an…

In vivo investigation on stem cells isolated from dental pulp and gingival tissues from periodontally compromised teeth

2015

Learning from experience. Proposal of a refined definition and staging system for bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ)

2012

Dear Editor, It is the authors’ belief that the internationally accepted definition of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (BRONJ) (Ruggiero et al, 2009) has several limitations that prevent clinicians from being confident with the diagnosis of the disease. Following recognition of the non-exposed BRONJ clinical variant (Lazarovici et al, 2009), we all became aware that the presence of ‘exposed necrotic bone in the oral cavity’, as outlined in the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (AAOMS) case definition, is just one of the possible clinical manifestations of BRONJ and is not found in all BRONJ patients. As ‘bone exposure’ is certainly not the initial sign …

The role of antibiotic prophylaxis in reducing bacterial contamination of autologous bone graft collected from implant site

2017

The aim of this study was to evaluate if antibiotic prophylaxis reduces the bacterial contamination of bone particles collected directly from the burs used for implant site preparation. Thirty-four patients underwent the surgical procedures for a total of 34 implant sites. One 1 gr. tablet of amoxicillin + clavulanic acid was given to the test group 12 hours and 1 hour before the surgery. The control group did not take antibiotic prophylaxis. Bone particles were collected and centrifuged. The suspensions were subjected to serial dilutions and each dilution was examined twice using a spatulation technique in Trypticase Soy Agar (TSA), in Sabouraud Dextrose Agar, and in Mitis Salivarius Agar …

Effects of p63 expression on survival in oral squamous cell carcinoma

2007

BACKGROUND: P63 is the protein codified by p63 gene, a p53 gene homolog, known for its pivotal role in cell cycle regulation, and involved in the tumor differentiation. Aims of the present study were to assess the frequency and pattern of p63 protein expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in relation to the main tumour characteristics and to verify whether p63 can be considered a marker of prognosis in patients with OSCC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In a retrospective study, a cohort of 64 OSCC patients was investigated for p63 protein expression and its cellular localization by immunohistochemistry (monoclonal mouse anti-human p63 protein-clone 4A4). After grouping by p63 expression, …

Oral manifestations in patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease: a single-center case-control study

2008

OBJECTIVE: To assess the occurrence of oral pathological changes and symptoms in patients affected by gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD). PATIENTS AND METHODS: 200 patients with GERD and 100 matched healthy controls were studied. Thorough visual examination of the dental and oral mucosal tissues was performed and medical history relevant to oral symptoms was collected. The primary outcome was defined as a statistically significant difference, between the study group and controls, in the presence of the following indicators: soft/hard palate and uvula erythema, tooth wear, xerostomia, oral acid/burning sensation, subjective halitosis and dental sensitivity. Statistical analysis include…

Quercetin-Based Nanocomposites as a Tool to Improve Dental Disease Management

2020

The restoration and prosthetic rehabilitation of missing teeth are commonly performed using dental implants, which are extremely effective and long-lasting techniques due to their osteointegration ability with the preimplant tissues. Quercetin is a phytoestrogen-like flavonoid well known for its several positive effects on human health, mostly linked to the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, many studies in dentistry and the maxillofacial fields have highlighted the positive effects of quercetin on osteogenesis, acting on osteoblast activity and angiogenetic process, and promoting soft and hard tissue…

The Treatment of Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (MRONJ): A Systematic Review with a Pooled Analysis of Only Surgery versus Combined Prot…

2021

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a serious adverse reaction of antiresorptive and antiangiogenic agents, and it is also a potentially painful and debilitating condition. To date, no specific studies have prospectively evaluated the efficacy of its treatment and no robust standard of care has been established. Therefore, a systematic review (2007–2020) with a pooled analysis was performed in order to compare MRONJ surgical techniques (conservative or aggressive) versus combined surgical procedures (surgery plus a non-invasive procedure), where 1137 patients were included in the pooled analysis. A statistically significant difference in the 6-month improvement rate, comp…

Review of: "OSTEONECROSIS OF THE JAW (ONJ) IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS: EFFECT OF PREVENTIVE MEASURES IN A MONOINSTITUTIONAL EXPERIENCE"

2021

Stevens-Johnson syndrome on treatment with sulfasalazine for Crohn’s disease: Need for a multidisciplinary approach

2019

Letter to editor

Low Frequency of Human Papillomavirus in Strictly Site-Coded Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas, Using the Latest NHI/SEER-ICD Systems: A Pilot Observatio…

2021

Simple Summary The incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCCs) has increased in the last decades, and this seems to be correlated to the infectious epidemiological trend of human papillomavirus (HPV). The prevalence of HPV-positive OPSCCs is approximately 70%, with involvement mainly of the tonsillar area. On the role of HPV in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), very few studies have investigated the prevalence of HPV in strictly site-codified OSCC, excluding the base of the tongue as distinct oropharyngeal entity. As a result, an inappropriate estimation of HPV infection in OSCC has been observed. We investigated HPV status, using a combination of detection methods, in a…

Assessment of sleep disturbance in oral lichen planus and validation of PSQI: A case-control multicenter study from the SIPMO (Italian Society of Ora…

2021

Background: The wellbeing of oral lichen planus patients (OLPs) may be strongly influenced by a poor quality of sleep (QoS) and psychological impairment. The aims were to analyze the prevalence of sleep disturbance, anxiety, and depression in OLPs and to validate the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in OLPs. Methods: Three hundred keratotic OLPs (K-OLPs), 300 with predominant non-keratotic OLP (nK-OLPs), and 300 controls were recruited in 15 Italian universities. The PSQI, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Hamilton Rating Scales for Depression and Anxiety (HAM-D and HAM-A), Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), and Total Pain Rating Index (T-PRI) were administered. Results: Oral lichen planus pati…

Association of oral lichen planus with thyroid disease in a Finnish population: A retrospective case-control study: "A different finding from a Medit…

2011

Not available

Prophylactic chimera anterolateral thigh/vastus lateralis flap: preventing complications in high-risk head and neck reconstruction

2014

Purpose In high-risk head and neck cases treated with tumor resection and associated radical neck dissection, orocutaneous fistulas and wound breakdowns in the neck are relatively frequent and can have serious consequences, such as carotid blowout syndrome (CBS), the need for salvage reoperations, and prolonged recovery time. The authors present the application of a prophylactic chimeric anterolateral thigh (ALT) and vastus lateralis (VL) flap to prevent complications. Materials and Methods A retrospective review was performed of a historical group (96 patients) of patients with head and neck cancer treated with tumor resection, radical neck dissection, and microsurgical reconstruction of t…

MMP-10/stromelysin-2 promotes invasion of head and neck cancer.

2011

BackgroundPeriostin, IFN-induced transmembrane protein 1 (IFITM1) and Wingless-type MMTV integration site family, member 5B (Wnt-5b) were previously identified as the invasion promoted genes of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) by comparing the gene expression profiles between parent and a highly invasive clone. We have previously reported that Periostin and IFITM1 promoted the invasion of HNSCC cells. Here we demonstrated that Wnt-5b overexpression promoted the invasion of HNSCC cells. Moreover, stromelysin-2 (matrix metalloproteinase-10; MMP-10) was identified as a common up-regulated gene among Periostin, IFITM1 and Wnt-5b overexpressing HNSCC cells by using microarray data s…

Commonalities between ENT Specialists and Oral Medicine Experts: Old HPV Diseases and New Oral HPV-Cancer along the Borders

2021

A human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is globally one of the most common causes of sexually transmitted infections of the mucous membranes (genital, anal and oral). Over the last decade, an increasing number of young patients have been infected due to the changes in sexual habits in the general population. The majority of the lesions are benign; however, substantial scientific evidence has suggested a role for the HPV family in the carcinogenesis of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). It is proposed that dentists, in addition to ENT specialists, should apply standardized management protocols in order to construct a well-defined pathway in terms of diagnosis, which is based on a PCR diagnostic t…

Growth and Osteogenic Differentiation of Discarded Gingiva-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells on a Commercial Scaffold

2020

Background In periodontal patients with jawbone resorption, the autologous bone graft is considered a "gold standard" procedure for the placing of dental prosthesis; however, this procedure is a costly intervention and poses the risk of clinical complications. Thanks to the use of adult mesenchymal stem cells, smart biomaterials, and active biomolecules, regenerative medicine and bone tissue engineering represent a valid alternative to the traditional procedures. Aims In the past, mesenchymal stem cells isolated from periodontally compromised gingiva were considered a biological waste and discarded during surgical procedures. This study aims to test the osteoconductive activity of FISIOGRAF…

COVID-19: dalle indicazioni ministeriali per la fase 2 alla nuova visione di odontoiatria sicura, sostenibile e centrata sul paziente

2020

La pandemia COVID-19, originaria di Wuhan in Cina, è diventata una grande sfida per la salute pubblica globale, modificando radicalmente la vita di tutti i giorni e le attività lavorative, specialmente quelle di ambito sanitario tra cui l’attività odontoiatrica. È stato necessario attuare delle misure di controllo delle infezioni per prevenire ulteriori diffusioni del virus. L’alto livello di attenzione che si è riusciti a raggiungere nella fase acuta della pandemia stessa ha determinato un efficiente bio-contenimento. Si impone, sin dalla fase 2, un ragionato e idoneo adeguamento di protocolli operativi di prevenzione e protezione. Prudenza, perizia e diligenza devono essere i punti cardin…

RE: MEDICATION-RELATED OSTEONECROSIS OF THE JAW (MRONJ)

2021

Interleukin (IL)-22 receptor 1 is over-expressed in primary Sjogren's syndrome and Sjögren-associated non-Hodgkin lymphomas and is regulated by IL-18.

2015

Summary The aim of this study was to elucidate more clearly the role of interleukin (IL)-18 in modulating the IL-22 pathway in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) patients and in pSS-associated lymphomas. Minor salivary glands (MSGs) from patients with pSS and non-specific chronic sialoadenitis (nSCS), parotid glands biopsies from non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) developed in pSS patients, were evaluated for IL-18, IL-22, IL-22 receptor 1 (IL-22R1), IL-22 binding protein (IL-22BP) and signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT-3) expression. MSGs IL-22R1-expressing cells were characterized by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry in pSS, nSCS and healthy controls. The effect of recom…

Evaluation of a combined triple method to detect causative HPV in oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas: p16 Immunohistochemistry, Consensu…

2012

Abstract Background Recent emerging evidences identify Human Papillomavirus (HPV) related Head and Neck squamous cell carcinomas (HN-SCCs) as a separate subgroup among Head and Neck Cancers with different epidemiology, histopathological characteristics, therapeutic response to chemo-radiation treatment and clinical outcome. However, there is not a worldwide consensus on the methods to be used in clinical practice. The endpoint of this study was to demonstrate the reliability of a triple method which combines evaluation of: 1. p16 protein expression by immunohistochemistry (p16-IHC); 2. HPV-DNA genotyping by consensus HPV-DNA PCR methods (Consensus PCR); and 3 viral integration into the host…

Antiendomysium antibodies assay in the culture medium of intestinal mucosa: an accurate method for celiac disease diagnosis

2011

Background Celiac disease (CD) diagnosis is becoming more difficult as patients with no intestinal histology lesions may also be suffering from CD. Aim To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of antiendomysium (EmA) assay in the culture medium of intestinal biopsies for CD diagnosis. Patients and methods The clinical charts of 418 patients with CD and 705 non-CD controls who had all undergone EmA assay in the culture medium were reviewed. Results EmA assay in the culture medium had a higher sensitivity (98 vs. 80%) and specificity (99 vs. 95%) than serum EmA/antibodies to tissue transglutaminase (anti-tTG) assay. All patients with CD who were tested as false-negatives for serum EmA and/or anti-…

Prevalence of vulval lichen planus in a cohort of women with oral lichen planus: an interdisciplinary study

2006

Summary Background  Lichen planus (LP) is a mucocutaneous inflammatory dermatosis that frequently involves the oral and genital mucosae. Patients with LP affecting these sites are often seen by oral medicine specialists or gynaecologists who work in isolation and depend heavily on histopathologists to help them in confirming the diagnosis. There are few studies in the literature combining the experiences of these specialists who share the care of patients with both oral and genital LP. Objectives  To estimate the prevalence of vulval LP (VLP) in a cohort of patients with histologically confirmed oral LP (OLP). Methods  The study group consisted of 42 women histologically diagnosed with OLP.…

Development of a Prognostic Model for Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma

2019

One of the objectives of current researches is to be able to customize the treatment of cancer patients. This can be possible only by better stratifying patients based on the most significant prognostic factors [1]. [...]

An innovative risk-scoring system of dental procedures and safety protocols in the COVID-19 era

2020

Abstract Background The aim of this paper is to assess an innovative risk score for common dental procedures, based on the most recent contaminant SARS-CoV-2. After scoring the level of infection risk, safety procedures, advice and personal protective equipment (PPE) are recommended for the dental team in each dental practice. Methods The authors of this research analysed 42 common dental procedures on the basis of known transmission risks. In increasing order, many consider the parameters leading to different risk scores for the dental team and patients for each procedure to be: direct contact with saliva (score 1), direct contact with blood (score 2), production of low levels of spray/aer…

Proceedings of the Closed Round Table and Italian Consensus on the Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of Jaws (MRONJ) at the Symposium of Italian Socie…

2019

On 20 October 2018 a Closed Round Table brought together a wide range of stakeholders from several medical disciplines, including academic experts, dentists, oncologists, maxillo-facial surgeons, oral surgeons, radiologists, under the technical and scientific coordination of Giuseppina Campisi (for SIPMO) and Giacomo Oteri (for Italian Society of Oral Surgery- SIdCO).

P254 Survivin detection in saliva samples from patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma

2007

In vivo optical coherence tomography imaging in a case of mucous membrane pemphigoid and a negative Nikolsky's sign.

2017

There is currently a growing interest in new diagnostic tools of the oral cavity and mucosa which are non-invasive, repeatable and reliable. A diagnosis of a suspected, autoimmune pathology was made regarding a 57-year-old patient with desquamative gingivitis. However, a negative Nikolsky's sign did not seem to indicate a diagnosis of mucous membrane pemphigoid neither was there any indication as to the optimum location for an incisional biopsy. As an imaging method, the use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) has enabled the obtaining of tomographic (cross-sectional) scans of tissue. Such images are acquired prior to and after verifying Nikolsky's sign, thereby enabling the clinician to …

Hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha expression is increased in infected positive HPV16 DNA oral squamous cell carcinoma and positively associated with H…

2011

Abstract Background There is increasing evidence for the role of High Risk (HR) Human PapillomaVirus (HPV) in the pathogenesis of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC). The E6 and E7 oncogenes from HR HPVs are responsible for the deregulation of p53 and pRB proteins involved in cell cycle and apoptotic pathways. In cell lines experiments, the HPV E7 protein seems to be able to enhance Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) activity, normally involved in the response to hypoxia and able to enhance angiogenesis. Results We studied tumor specimens from 62 OSCC; a higher prevalence of tumors in TNM stage II and also in pT2 class between OSCC infected positive HPV16 DNA than non-infected ones w…

Expression of cell cycle markers and human papillomavirus infection in oral squamous cell carcinoma: use of fuzzy neural networks.

2005

Our aim was to evaluate in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) the relationship between some cell cycle markers and HPV infection, conditionally to age, gender and certain habits of patients, and to assess the ability of fuzzy neural networks (FNNs) in building up an adequate predictive model based on logic inference rules. Eighteen cases of OSCC were examined by immunohistochemistry for MIB-1, PCNA and survivin expression; presence of HPV DNA was investigated in exfoliated oral mucosa cells by nested PCR (nPCR, MY09-MY11/GP5-GP6), and HPV genotype was determined by direct DNA sequencing. Data were analyzed by traditional statistics (TS) and FNNs. HPV DNA was found in 9/18 OSCCs (50.0 %) wi…

Could the Combined Administration of Bone Antiresorptive Drug, Taxanes, and Corticosteroids Worsen Medication Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaws in Ca…

2018

The study presents a report of 58 metastatic cancer patients who developed osteonecrosis of the jaws after being treated with zoledronic acid and taxanes, plus corticosteroids. A retrospective analysis of data registered in the archives of two Italian osteonecrosis of the jaws treatment centers, who are based at the University of Messina and at the University of Palermo, was performed in order to study, in these patients, demographic data and characteristics such as frequency of cancer location, lines of therapy, frequency of cancer drugs, presence/absence of oral trigger, number, location, and stage of jaw osteonecrosis. It was found that the majority of patients developed advanced stages …

Haematological deficiencies in patients with recurrent aphthosis

2009

Background  Recurrent aphthosis is a common oral ulcerative condition consisting also of a subset of similar ulcers, properly named ‘aphthous-like’ ulcers (ALU), linked to systemic diseases and among these, to iron, folic acid and vitamin B12 deficiencies. Objectives  The main objectives of this study were: (i) to evaluate the association between recurrent aphthosis and the most common predisposing factors; (ii) to assess the frequency of ALU in recurrent aphthosis; (iii) to verify the efficacy of a replacement therapy in all ALU patients. Methods  Thirty-two adults with recurrent aphthosis and 29 otherwise healthy controls were consecutively recruited, interviewed and subjected to haematol…

Protection of Patient Data in Digital Oral and General Health Care: A Scoping Review with Respect to the Current Regulations

2023

The use of digital health technologies, including telemedicine and teledentistry, has become a necessity in healthcare due to the SARS-CoV-19 pandemic. These technologies allow for the reduction of the workload of healthcare providers and the improvement of patient outcomes in cases of remote monitoring, diagnosis, and communication. While there are no doubtful benefits, there are some counterparts, such as concerns about clinical risks, data security, and privacy protection. This paper aims to review the regulations regarding the use of digital health apps and software in healthcare. This scoping review followed the PRISMA-ScR guidelines and the five-step framework of Arksey and O’Malley. …

Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ): run dental management designs and issues in diagnosis

2007

Recently, jawbone osteonecrosis has been largely reported as a potential adverse effect of bisphosphonate (BP) administration. Because of the peculiar pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic features of the BF (mainly for i.v. administration), their efficacy and large use, some major issues have to be taken into account extendedly both by oncologists and by dentists: 1) therapeutic dental protocol for patients with diagnosis of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ); 2) dental strategies for patients in former or current i.v. BF treatment and in absence of BRONJ signs; 3) strategies for patients before i.v. BF treatment. Clinical features and guidelines for the management of th…

Oral manifestations of eating disorders: a critical review.

2008

Background:  Eating disorders (ED) are a group of psychopathological disorders affecting patient relationship with food and her/his own body, which manifests through distorted or chaotic eating behavior; they include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and ED not otherwise specified and may be burdened with life-threatening complications. As oral manifestations of ED can occur in many phases of disease progression, they play a significant role in assessment, characterization and prognosis of ED. Methods:  Mucosal, dental, and salivary abnormalities associated with ED have been reviewed. Relations between oral menifestations and pathogenesis, management and prognosis of ED have been critically…

Bioavailability in vivo of naltrexone following transbuccal administration by an electronically-controlled intraoral device: a trial on pigs.

2010

Naltrexone (NLX), an opioid antagonist, is widely used in the treatment of opiate addiction, alcoholism and smoking cessation. Its current peroral administration induces various adverse side effects and has limited efficacy since bioavailability and patient compliance are poor. The development of a long-acting drug delivery system of NLX may overcome the current drawbacks and help in the improvement of treatment of addiction. The primary endpoints of this study were: a) to compare the NLX bioavailability and pharmacokinetics after delivering a single transbuccal dose, released by a prototype of intraoral device, versus an intravenous (I.V.) bolus of the same drug dose; b) to verify the func…

Oral Health Status in Subjects with Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease: Data from the Zabút Aging Project

2020

Background: The relationship between Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and periodontitis has been recently investigated with heterogenous results. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the oral health status and its relationship with cognitive impairment of participants, enrolled in the Zabút Aging Project, a community-based cohort study performed in a rural community in Sicily, Italy. Methods: A case-control study (20 subjects with AD, 20 with amnestic mild cognitive impairment [aMCI], and 20 controls) was conducted. The protocol included a comprehensive medical and cognitive-behavioral examination. Full-mouth evaluation, microbial analysis of subgingival plaque samples (by RT-PCR analysis), and o…

Human papillomavirus: Its identikit and controversial role in oral oncogenesis, premalignant and malignant lesions (Review)

2007

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are a group of host-specific DNA viruses, with a remarkable epithelial cell specificity: they have been reported principally in the ano-genital tract, urethra, skin, larynx, tracheo-bronchial and oral mucosa. More than 100 different HPV types have been identified and classified as high (e.g. 16, 18, 31) or low (e.g. 11, 42, 36) -risk (HR and LR), based on their association with cervical carcinoma. The carcinogenic role of HR-HPV revolves mainly around two of its oncoproteins: HPV-E6 which promotes degradation of the p53 tumour suppressor gene product and HPV-E7 which modifies the pRb tumour suppressor gene product, inhibiting the activity of TGF-beta2. Since th…

Gingivitis

2021

Gingival inflammation is caused by bacterial plaque (dental biofilm) that accumulates daily on the teeth. Results in redness, slight swelling, or "puffiness" of the gums and bleeding on tooth brushing. Treatment involves thorough professional tooth cleaning and effective daily removal of dental plaque by tooth brushing and cleaning between the teeth. Necrotizing gingivitis is a more serious condition that is mainly found in developing countries and is associated with people with severe malnutrition or people living with HIV with low CD4 counts.

Leishmania infection in psoriasis

2019

Demographic and behavioural profiles of patients with common oral mucosal lesions by a homogeneity analysis

2012

Oral Diseases (2012) 18, 396–401 Objective:  The aim of this study is to assess the main oral mucosal lesions (OMLs) within a hospital base and to provide an anamnestic, diagnostic model based on homogeneity analysis of some variables. Methods:  The demographic and behavioural data (i.e. gender, age, smoking status, alcohol consumption and therapeutic drug usage) of 1753 patients with at least one OML were considered. Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) and multivariate tests of the simultaneous marginal homogeneity hypothesis (SMH) were used to analyse the evidence of any differences between the demographic and behavioural profiles relating to OMLs diagnoses. Statistical significance of…

The preventive care of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ): a position paper by Italian experts for dental hygienists

2022

Abstract Purpose The prevention and early diagnosis of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is fundamental to reducing the incidence and progression of MRONJ. Many in the field believe that dental hygienists should play an integral role in primary and secondary MRONJ prevention. However, to date, very few publications in the literature have proposed standardised MRONJ protocols, which are dedicated to dental hygienists. The aim of this study was to provide guidance to the health care providers managing MRONJ. Methods The expert opinion in this study was developed by dental hygienists from the main Italian technical-scientific associations (Italian Dental Hygienists Associatio…

Diagnostic Pathways and Clinical Significance of Desquamative Gingivitis

2008

The term desquamative gingivitis (DG) refers to a clinical manifestation that can be caused by several disorders. Many of them are immunologically mediated; in addition to the oral cavity, they can affect extraoral mucocutaneous sites, e.g., larynx, conjunctiva, esophagus, nasal and genital mucosa, and the skin. The degree of oral, periodontal, and systemic involvement determines the overall morbidity and, sometimes, the mortality of these disorders. We comprehensively review disorders commonly associated with DG and highlight diagnostic pathways, guidelines for differential diagnosis, and oral, periodontal, and systemic implications. More rare conditions are reviewed as well. Mucous membra…

COVID-19 and Communities. The University of Palermo's Voices and Analyses During the Pandemic

2021

Controlled delivery of naltrexone by an intraoral device: in vivo study on human subjects.

2013

Naltrexone is widely used in the treatment of opiate addiction but its current peroral administration is characterized by low bioavailability with various side effects. The development of a long-acting transbuccal delivery device (IntelliDrug) for NLX may be useful to improve patient compliance and the therapy effectiveness. The aims of the study are (a) to test basic safety and effectiveness of controlled transbuccal drug delivery on human subjects; (b) to compare NLX bioavailability following transbuccal delivery vs per os conventional delivery; and (c) to test the hypothesis that transbuccal delivery is more efficient than the conventional route. In this randomized cross-over pilot study…

Carbamazepine transbuccal delivery: the histo-morphological features of reconstituted human oral epithelium and buccal porcine mucosae in the transmu…

2009

Transbuccal drug delivery is an attractive way of administration since several well-known advantages are provided, especially with respect to peroral management. Carbamazepine (CBZ) is an anticonvulsant which is useful in controlling neuropathic pain, and it is currently administered by peroral route, although its absorption and bioavailability is limited due to various factors. The oral cavity could be an interesting site for transbuccal CBZ delivery due to two properties: slow administration of constant low drug doses and less dose-related side effects. However, in transbuccal absorption a major limitation could be the low permeability of the mucosa which results in low drug bioavailabil…

Expression of sexual hormones receptors in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

2011

Sexual hormones play an important role in expression of genes involved in a wide variety of biological and neoplastic processes. The information on Estrogen Receptors (ER) expression in non-target tissues is very few and, in particular, the studies in head and neck tumors are still controversial. Recent studies analyzed the role of Tamoxifen (TAM) on Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) lines in relation to the presence/absence of ER. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the expression of sexual hormones receptors mRNAs, in particular Estrogen Receptor alpha (ERα) and Androgen Receptor (AR) mRNA in OSCC tissues. The study group comprised 20 samples of OSCC, harvested from 20 oth…

Introduction of book "COVID-19 and Communities: Bracing for Impact. Voices and Analyses of the University of Palermo during the COVID-19 Pandemic"

2022

The book COVID-19 and Communities: Bracing for Impact. Voices and Analyses of the University of Palermo during the COVID-19 Pandemic is a contributed volume that brings together academics of the University of Palermo in an interdisciplinary reflection on the SARS-COV-2 pandemic and its consequences. This publication finds its origins in a widely followed online webinar series that the University of Palermo set up at the end of May 2020 on the theme of the current pandemic.

Can radium 223 be a conservative non-surgical management of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw?

2019

AbstractOsteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is a rare and severe necrotic bone disease reflecting a compromise in the body's osseous healing mechanisms and unique to the craniofacial region. Radium 223 dichloride (Ra223) is the only targeted alpha therapy able to extend survival in patients with bone metastases from prostate cancer. Mechanism of action and data currently available focused mainly on osteoblastic metastases from prostate cancer. In 2018, a Caucasian 54-year-old woman presented to our institution for a breast cancer with bone metastases. Since the patient refused any treatment and taking into account the bone disease, our multidisciplinary team evaluated a supplementary strategy wi…

USE OF FUZZY NEURAL NETWORKS IN MODELING RELATIONSHIPS OF HPV INFECTION WITH APOPTOTIC AND PROLIFERATION MARKERS IN POTENTIALLY MALIGNANT ORAL LESIONS

2005

To evaluate in oral leukoplakia the relationship between HPV infection and markers of apoptosis (bcl-2, survivin) and proliferation (PCNA), also conditionally to age, gender, smoking and drinking habits of patients, by means of Fuzzy neural networks (FNN) system 21 cases of oral leukopakia, clinically and histologically diagnosed, were examined for HPV DNA presence, bcl-2, survivin and PCNA expression. HPV DNA was investigated in exfoliated oral mucosa cells by nested PCR (nPCR: MY09-MY11/GP5-GP6), and the HPV genotype determined by direct DNA sequencing. All markers were investigated by means of standardised immunohistochemistry procedure. Data were analysed by chi-square test, crude OR an…

5-Fluorouracil Buccal Tablets for Locoregional Chemotherapy of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Formulation, Drug Release and Histological Effects on Re…

2010

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is currently used for treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). 5-FU is given by i.v. although the systemic administration is associated with severe toxic effects and no topical formulations of 5-FU for buccal drug delivery have been reported. In this study we would report the development of buccal tablets suitable for direct application of low-doses of 5-FU on cancer lesions. The topical administration could be effective on tumor area while systemic undesired side effects are avoided. Preliminarily, the limited tendency of 5-FU to cross the buccal tissue was established using reconstituted human oral epithelium (RHOE, in vitro) and porcine buccal mucosa (ex vi…

Potential involvement of IL-22 and IL-22-producing cells in the inflamed salivary glands of patients with Sjogren's syndrome.

2012

OBJECTIVES: In chronic inflammatory disorders, interleukin (IL)-22 may act either as a protective or as a pro-inflammatory cytokine. At mucosal sites, IL-22 is mainly produced by CD4(+) T cells and by a subset of mucosal natural killer (NK) cells expressing the receptor NKp44 (NKp44(+) NK cells). The aim of this study was to investigate the IL-22 expression in the salivary glands of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). METHODS: Minor salivary gland biopsies were obtained from 19 patients with pSS and 16 with non-specific chronic sialoadenitis. Quantitative gene expression analysis by TaqMan real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry for IL-17, IL-22, IL-23 and STAT3 (signal transduce…

Human exfoliated deciduous teeth and oral mucosa: promising applications in tissue regeneration

2018

In the last three decades, the constantly increasing need for therapies, efficiently preventing and/or treating human diseases, has raised the interest in Regenerative Medicine (RM). RM is based on employing mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), that showed to have great proliferation, self-renewal and multilineage differentiation potential, in vitro as well as in vivo. The opportunity of an accessible, painless and low-cost reservoir of MSCs constitutes the first important step of a successful regenerative therapy to include in the current clinical practice. Oral cavity has recently demonstrated to contain different MSCs niches: dental pulp from permanent and deciduous teeth, periodontal ligament…

Resective surgical approach shows a high performance in the management of advanced cases of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws: a retro…

2012

Abstract PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of the surgical treatment of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) in a large cohort. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort multicenter study was designed. Patients were enrolled if they were diagnosed with BRONJ and received operative treatment. Data on demographic, health status, perioperative, and surgical factors were collected retrospectively. The primary outcome variable was a change in BRONJ staging (improvement, worsening, or no change). Interventions were grouped by local debridement and resective surgery. Data were collected for other variables as cofactors. Univariate analysis and logist…

Dental pulp stem cells for bone tissue engineering: a review of the current literature and a look to the future.

2018

The aim of this narrative review is to investigate the implication of mesenchymal stem cells harvested from human dental pulp in in vivo bone tissue regeneration. We focused on studies related to roles of human dental pulp stem cells in in vivo bone regeneration. A total of 1021 studies were identified; after the assessment of eligibility, only 39 studies were included in the review. The evaluated information of the studies regards the experimental strategies (e.g., the isolation method, the scaffold, the in vivo animal models). The overall main evidences highlighted from the analysis are that dental pulp stem cells and human-exfoliated deciduous teeth stem cells supported by a suitable sc…

Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Mimicking Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaws (MRONJ): A Case Series

2021

(1) Background: Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a potential adverse drug reaction of antiresorptive and/or antiangiogenic treatment. MRONJ is mostly diagnosed by anamnestic data, clinical examination and radiological findings, with signs and symptoms often unspecific. On the other hand, oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is characteristic for its pleomorphic appearance (e.g., ulcer, mucous dehiscence, non-healing post-extractive socket). We report three cases where OSCC mimicked MRONJ lesions. (2) Patients: Three patients undergoing amino-bisphosphonate treatment for osteoporosis presented with areas of intraorally exposed jawbone and unspecific radiological signs co…

Gingivitis

2019

Gingival inflammation is caused by bacterial plaque (dental biofilm) that accumulates daily on the teeth. Results in redness, slight swelling, or "puffiness" of the gums and bleeding on tooth brushing. Treatment involves thorough professional tooth cleaning and effective daily removal of dental plaque by tooth brushing and cleaning between the teeth. Necrotizing gingivitis (NG) is a more serious condition that is mainly found in developing countries and is associated with people with severe malnutrition or people living with HIV with low CD4 counts.

Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of Jaws (MRONJ) Prevention and Diagnosis: Italian Consensus Update 2020

2020

The Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of Jaws (MRONJ) diagnosis process and its prevention play a role of great and rising importance, not only on the Quality of Life (QoL) of patients, but also on the decision-making process by the majority of dentists and oral surgeons involved in MRONJ prevention (primary and secondary). The present paper reports the update of the conclusions from the Consensus Conference—held at the Symposium of the Italian Society of Oral Pathology and Medicine (SIPMO) (20 October 2018, Ancona, Italy)—after the newest recommendations (2020) on MRONJ were published by two scientific societies (Italian Societies of Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Pathology and Medicine, SI…

Medium-term Culture of Normal Human Oral Mucosa: A Novel Three-dimensional Model to Study the Effectiveness of Drugs Administration

2012

Tissue-engineered oral mucosal equivalents have been developed for in vitro studies for a few years now. However, the usefulness of currently available models is still limited by many factors, mainly the lack of a physiological extracellular matrix (ECM) and the use of cell populations that do not reflect the properly differentiated cytotypes of the mucosa of the oral cavity. For this reason, we have developed a novel three-dimensional culture model reflecting the normal architecture of the human oral mucosa, with the main aim of creating a better in vitro model where to test cellular responses to drugs administration. This novel 3D cell culture model (3D outgrowth) was set up using an arti…

Oral lichenoid drug reaction by lithium in a patient with bipolar disorder

2005

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a psychiatric disease characterized by recurrent and alternated episodes of depression and mania. For the treatment of BD, anticonvulsants drugs as lithium, carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine can be used. These drugs can be associated with potential adverse effects: weight gain, tremors, thyroid abnormalities, and cognitive, gastrointestinal, cardiac or dermatological problems. We describe a case of BD with oral lichenoid drug reaction probably because of the mood stabilizers.

No findings of dental defects in children treated with minocycline

2004

Thanks to their broad antimicrobial spectrum, tetracyclines were found to be valuable for the treatment of many infections (10). Unfortunately, they irreversibly bind to calcifying tissues and are deposited along the incremental lines of dentine and enamel, causing defects and staining, from bright yellow to dark brown (3, 5, 8). According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, tetracyclines are not indicated for the treatment of common infections in children younger than 8 years of age. However, doxycycline (a tetracycline analogue) is recommended for treatment of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in children of any age (1). Minocycline has several advantages over other tetracyclines: it is bet…

Unexpected high frequency of genital involvement in women with clinical and hostological features of oral lichen planus

2006

The main aims of this cross-sectional study were: (i) to assess the frequency of genital (vulval) lichen planus (VLP) and vulval lichen sclerosus (VLS) in women affected with oral lichen planus (OLP), regardless of the genital symptoms reported; and (ii) to verify whether any demographic, clinical, or histological features of OLP are associated with a higher risk of vulvo-vaginal involvement. Fifty-five women, presenting OLP, consecutively underwent gynaecological examination and, if they demonstrated positive clinical signs of VLP, underwent biopsy. After a drop-out of 14 subjects, 31/41 (75.6%) were found to have signs of genital involvement, of which 13/31 (44.0%) were asymptomatic. Foll…

Gender and Sex in Medical Practice: An Exploratory Study on Knowledge, Behavior, and Attitude among Sicilian Physicians

2022

Personalized medicine is a new paradigm in health care, and the concept of socio-cultural gender, as opposed to biological sex, emerged in several medical approaches. This exploratory study aimed to investigate the knowledge of sex and gender in clinical medicine among Sicilian physicians. Data collection was based on an online survey sent to the members of the Medical Councils of Sicily (Italy). The questionnaire included nine specific items about awareness and attitudes regarding gender medicine and its importance in clinical practice. 8023 Sicilian physicians received the solicitation e-mail and only 496 responded. Regarding the knowledge of gender medicine, 71.1% of participants stated …

An unusual traumatic ulceration of the tongue

2012

No abstract

TLR4 expression in ex-Lichenoid lesions—oral squamous cell carcinomas and its surrounding epithelium: the role of tumor inflammatory microenvironment

2022

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) regulate innate and adaptive immune responses. Moreover, TLRs can induce a pro-survival and pro-proliferation response in tumor cells. This study aims to investigate the expression of TLR4 in the epithelium surrounding oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) in relation to its inflammatory microenvironment. This study included 150 human samples: 30 normal oral control (NOC), 38 non-lichenoid epithelium surrounding OSCC (NLE-OSCC), 28 lichenoid epithelium surrounding OSCC (LE-OSCC), 30 OSCC ex-non oral lichenoid lesion (OSCC Ex-NOLL), and 24 OSCC ex-oral lichenoid lesion (OSCC Ex-OLL). TLR4 expression was investigated by immunohistochemistry and the percentage of posi…

Oral mucosal lesions and risk habits among men in an Italian study population

2001

A randomly selected study population of 118 male subjects (> or = 40 years) living on the Mediterranean island of Pantelleria (southwest of Sicily, Italy) was examined for the presence of oral mucosal lesions, with particular emphasis on the early diagnosis of oral precancerous and cancerous lesions. The study population was interviewed for socioeconomic and behavioural information, and clinically examined using WHO criteria. The prevalence of oral mucosal lesions observed, and data obtained about oral hygiene, tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking and exposure to actinic radiation, were analysed. Alcohol drinking was the most common habit in the study population (73%), followed by tobacco smok…

Improvement of Resveratrol Permeation through Sublingual Mucosa: Chemical Permeation Enhancers versus Spray Drying Technique to Obtain Fast-Disintegr…

2021

Resveratrol (RSV) is a natural polyphenol with several interesting broad-spectrum pharmacological properties. However, it is characterized by poor oral bioavailability, extensive first-pass effect metabolism and low stability. Indeed, RSV could benefit from the advantage of the sublingual route of administration. In this view, RSV attitudes to crossing the porcine sublingual mucosa were evaluated and promoted both by six different chemical permeation enhancers (CPEs) as well as by preparing four innovative fast-disintegrating sublingual mini-tablets by spray drying followed by direct compression. Since RSV by itself exhibits a low permeation aptitude, this could be significantly enhanced by…

Human papillomavirus frequency in oral epithelial lesions

2005

BACKGROUND: Oral human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence varies according to geographical occurrence, the type of lesion, and the method of diagnosis. The polymerase chain reaction method (PCR) appears to be more sensitive and can be easily applicable to epidemiologic studies. OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency of HPV and its genotypes in oral lesions among patients attending a reference clinic of a university hospital. METHODS: PCR was performed to identify HPV DNA from samples of oral epithelial lesions in 80 patients. For HPV DNA amplification, MY09/MY11 consensus primers were used and specific genotypes were identified through restriction fragment of length polymorphism (RFLP) pattern…

Saliva variations in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.

2007

Abstract Objectives The protective role of saliva in the case of oesophageal exposition to gastric acid has long been studied but some contradictions still remain. The main end-point of this study was to evaluate if a qualitative and quantitative alteration in salivary secretion exists in patients affected by GERD. Methods One hundred and twenty patients (T group) with clinically and endoscopically diagnosed GERD, and 98 healthy subjects (C group) have been evaluated; salivary tests (i.e. basal flow rate, stimulated flow rate, pH, [Na + ] and [K + ]) were performed, socio-demographical variables and oral GERD-related symptoms were taken into account. SPSS 10.5 software was used for statisti…

Onset of MRONJ in Breast Cancer Patients after Switching from Low to High Dose of Bone Modifying Agents Due to Bone Metastases Development: A Single …

2022

Background: Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (MRONJ) is an adverse drug reaction mainly associated to bone modifying agents (BMAs). Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequent cancer worldwide. Its therapy can cause cancer treatment-induced bone loss (CTIBL), commonly treated with BMAs. The aims of this retrospective study are: to describe characteristics of BC patients under BMAs for CTIBL; to record any switch to high-dose BMAs; to assess MRONJ onset and to identify any factors associated with it. Patients: Authors included patients referred for MRONJ prevention to the Unit of Oral Medicine (University Hospital of Palermo). Results: Fourteen female BC patients under low-dose BMAs f…

Citations and metrics of journals discontinued from Scopus for publication concerns: the GhoS(t)copus Project [version 2; peer review: 2 approved, 1 …

2020

Background: Scopus is a leading bibliometric database. It contains a large part of the articles cited in peer-reviewed publications. The journals included in Scopus are periodically re-evaluated to ensure they meet indexing criteria and some journals might be discontinued for 'publication concerns'. Previously published articles may remain indexed and can be cited. Their metrics have yet to be studied. This study aimed to evaluate the main features and metrics of journals discontinued from Scopus for publication concerns, before and after their discontinuation, and to determine the extent of predatory journals among the discontinued journals. Methods: We surveyed the list of discontinued jo…

Metastatic Melanoma of the Tongue: A Rare Case

2012

Not available

Bcl-2 as prognostic factor in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

2005

A series of 66 cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) was retrospectively analyzed by immunohisto-chemistry for bcl-2 expression to verify its predictive value for clinical outcome in patients with OSCC. After grouping for bcl-2 expression, OSCCs were statistically analyzed for the variables age, gender, histological grading (G), TNM, staging, recurrence, and overall survival rate. Univariate and multivariate (Cox regression) analyses were performed. Thirty-six OSCC (54.5%) showed expression for bcl-2, whereas 30 (44.5%) were negative. No statistical association was found between bcl-2 expression and any variables considered at baseline. Overall disease-specific survival rate at 72 mo…

Umanizzazione delle cure in odontostomatologia. Una tendenza emergente

2021

OBIETTIVI Scopo del presente lavoro è fornire agli specialisti della salute orale la descrizione delle caratteristiche del colloquio narrativo, inteso come differente dalla tradizionale anamnesi e in grado di rilevare l’universo del paziente, alla base del processo di umaniz-zazione delle cure in odontostomatologia, e illustrare un modello di umanizzazione di cure odontoiatriche. METODI Nell’articolo vengono descritti i punti chiave del processo di umanizzazione delle cure e come tale pratica sia stata integrata nella U.O. di Medicina Orale, A.O.U. P. Giaccone di Palermo per l’approccio al paziente fragile. La comunità scientifica ha già messo in discussione il tradizionale approccio medico…

ADAR1, a promising “protecting” biomarker in oral squamous cell carcinoma

2019

DOUBLE DEMONSTRATION OF ONCOGENIC HIGH RISK HUMAN PAPILLOMA VIRUS DNA AND HPV-E7 PROTEIN IN ORAL CANCERS

2011

Oncogenic HPVs are necessarily involved in cervical cancer but their role in oral carcinogenesis is debated. To detect HPV in oral cancer, 38 cases of formalin fixed-paraffin embedded OSCC were studied by both DNA genotyping (MY09/11 L1 consensus primers in combination with GP5-GP6 primer pair followed by sequencing) and immunohistochemistry (monoclonal Abs against capsid protein and HPV-E7 protein, K1H8 DAKO and clone 8C9 INVITROGEN, respectively). HPV-16 tonsil cancer was used as positive control. The overall prevalence of HPV infection in OSCCs was 10.5%. Amplification of DNA samples showed single HPV DNA infection in 3 cases (HPV16; HPV53; HPV70) and double infection in one case of chee…

Dentistry and internal medicine: from the focal infection theory to the periodontal medicine concept

2010

Abstract During past decades the relationship between dentistry and internal medicine and especially the concept of the so-called focal infection theory have long been a matter of debate. The pathogenesis of focal diseases has been classically attributed to dental pulp pathologies and periapical infections. Nonetheless, in recent years, their role is being dismissed while increasing interest is being devoted to the possible associations between periodontal infection and systemic diseases. In fact, periodontal pathogens and their products, as well as inflammatory mediators produced in periodontal tissues, might enter the bloodstream, causing systemic effects and/or contributing to systemic d…

Development of a Multifunctional Bioerodible Nanocomposite Containing Metronidazole and Curcumin to Apply on L-PRF Clot to Promote Tissue Regeneratio…

2020

Teeth extractions are often followed by alveolar bone reabsorption, although an adequate level of bone is required for reliable rehabilitations by dental implants. Leukocyte and platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF) has been widely applied in regenerative procedures and with antibiotic and antioxidant agents could play an essential role in hard and soft tissue healing. In this work, a nanocomposite (Sponge-C-MTR) consisting of a hyaluronate-based sponge loaded with metronidazole (MTR) and nanostructured lipid carriers containing curcumin (CUR-NLC) was designed to be wrapped in the L-PRF&trade

“Proliferative verrucous vs conventional leukoplakia: no significantly increased risk of HPV infection” [Oral Oncology 40 (2004) 835–840]

2005

a Department of Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 129, Palermo 90127, Italy b Department of Microbiology, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 133, Palermo 90127, Italy c Department of Head and Neck Pathology, II University of Napoli Piazza Miraglia, 80100, Italy d Department of Biomedical sciences and Human Oncology, Section of Oral Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Turin, Corso Dogliotti, 14, Torino 10126, Italy e Department of Dentistry and Surgery, Pizza G. Cesare 11, Bari 70124, Italy

Leucocyte- and Platelet-Rich Fibrin Block: Its Use for the Treatment of a Large Cyst with Implant-Based Rehabilitation

2021

The management of critical-size bone defects is still demanding. Recently, autologous platelet concentrates in combination with bone substitute have been applied and reported in a few studies. Our aim is to report the healing of a critical-size alveolar bone defect treated with a new bone regeneration technique by means of L-PRF and L-PRF blocks. A 45-year-old woman presented a large cystic lesion; the extraction of three teeth, a cyst removal procedure, and bone regeneration procedures with L-PRF and L-PRF blocks were planned. The L-PRF block was prepared by mixing a bone substitute with a piece of L-PRF membrane and liquid fibrinogen. Additionally, after bone healing an implant-based reha…

Orally based diagnosis of celiac disease:current perspective

2008

Celiac disease (CD) is a lifelong immune-mediated disorder caused by the ingestion of wheat gluten in genetically susceptible persons. Most cases of CD are atypical and remain undiagnosed, which exposes the individuals to the risk of life-threatening complications. Serologic endomysial and tissue transglutaminase antibody tests are used to screen at-risk individuals, although a firm diagnosis requires demonstration of characteristic histopathologic findings in the small-intestinal mucosa. A gluten challenge, with a repeat biopsy to demonstrate recurrence of histopathologic changes in the intestinal mucosa after the re-introduction of gluten, is considered for those persons in whom diagnosi…

Psychological profile and unexpected pain in oral lichen planus: a case-control multicenter SIPMO study

2021

Objectives: To analyze psychological profiles, pain and oral symptoms in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP). Materials and methods: 300 patients with keratotic OLP (K-OLP; reticular, papular, plaque-like subtypes), 300 patients with predominant non-keratotic OLP (nK-OLP; erythematosus atrophic, erosive, ulcerative, bullous subtypes) and 300 controls were recruited in 15 universities. The number of oral sites involved and oral symptoms were recorded. The Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), Total Pain Rating Index (T-PRI), Hamilton Rating Scales for Depression and for Anxiety (HAM-D and HAM-A), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) were administered. Results: Th…

Effects of two essential oil mouthrinses on 4-day supragingival plaque regrowth: A randomized cross-over study

2013

Purpose: To investigate the plaque inhibiting effects of two commercially available mouthrinses containing essential oils (EO). Both products contained the same concentration of EO, but one of them did not contain ethanol. Methods: The study was an observer-masked, randomized, 4 × 4 Latin square cross-over design, balanced for carryover effects, involving 12 participants in a 4-day plaque regrowth model. A 0.12% chlorhexidine (CHX) rinse and a saline solution served as positive and negative controls, respectively. On Day 1, subjects received professional prophylaxis, suspended oral hygiene measures, and commenced rinsing with their allocated rinses. On Day 5, subjects were scored for disclo…

Salivary Microbiota Composition in Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review.

2022

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide. Despite recent advances in diagnosis and treatment, in recent years, an increase in the incidence of OSCC has been registered, and the mortality rate is still high. This systematic review aims to identify a potential association between the composition of salivary microbiota and OSCC. Materials and Methods: The protocol for this study was designed following the PRISMA guidelines. Records were identified using different search engines (e.g., Medline/PubMed). Observational studies, in human subjects with histological diagnosis of OSCC, concerning the analysis of salivary microbiota, were selected. …

Appropriateness in Dentistry: A Survey Discovers Improper Procedures in Oral Medicine and Surgery

2018

Objectives. The aim of this study was to assess appropriateness of diagnostic exams, treatments, and procedures among Italian dental practitioners.Materials and Methods. A questionnaire with multiple responses on topics of dentistry and oral medicine was administered to a sample of 198 Italian dental practitioners. Information on characteristics of the respondents was also collected. Descriptive statistics and multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) were applied. Data were analyzed using R software (version 3.3.2).Results. The survey respondents included Doctors of Medicine (MD) (54/198 = 27%) with or without specialty in dentistry (33% versus 67%), Doctors of Dental Surgery (DDS) (144/198 =…

Human papillomavirus DNA in oral mucosal lesions

2002

This study determined the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in oral mucosa cells from 121 patients with different types of oral mucosal lesions (13 squamous cell carcinomas, 59 potentially malignant lesions, 49 benign erosive ulcerative lesions) and from 90 control subjects. HPV DNA was detected by nested polymerase chain reaction, and genotype was determined by DNA sequencing. HPV prevalence was 61.5% in carcinomas, 27.1% in potentially malignant lesions, 26.5% in erosive ulcerative lesions, and 5.5% in control subjects. The risk of malignant or potentially malignant lesions was associated with HPV and was statistically significant. HPV-18 was found in 86.5% of HPV-positive lesion…

Diagnostic delay of oral squamous cell carcinoma and the fear of diagnosis: A scoping review.

2022

The mortality rate of patients affected with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has been stable in recent decades due to several factors, especially diagnostic delay, which is often associated with a late stage diagnosis and poor prognosis. The aims of this paper were to: analyze diagnostic delay in OSCC and to discuss the various psychological factors of patients with OSCC, with particular attention to the patient’s fear of receiving news regarding their health; and the professional dynamics related to the decision-making processes in cases of suspected OSCC. A preliminary review of literature focusing on OSCC diagnostic delay was performed. Seven articles were included with the diagnosti…

Halitosis: a stomatological and psychological issue.

2009

It can be stated that halitosis is located on the ridge connecting dentistry, oral medicine, parodontology and psychology. It represents, at the same time, the manifestation of an organic malfunctioning of the oral apparatus, and a problematic element for the individual and his/her relational life. A smelly emanation comes into conflict with the wish to attract, to please, to seduce. The attitudes towards the possibility to suffer from bad breath have two typical opposite expressions, which share the common characteristic that many are bad judges of one's own breath. The dentist, in fact, is frequently involved in the management of patients who believe they have bad breath problems, which i…

Controversies surrounding human papilloma virus infection, head & neck vs oral cancer, implications for prophylaxis and treatment.

2009

Head & Neck Cancer (HNC) represents the sixth most common malignancy worldwide and it is historically linked to well-known behavioural risk factors, i.e., tobacco smoking and/or the alcohol consumption. Recently, substantial evidence has been mounting that Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is playing an increasing important role in oral cancer. Because of the attention and clamor surrounding oral HPV infection and related cancers, as well as the use of HPV prophylactic vaccines, in this invited perspective the authors raise some questions and review some controversial issues on HPV infection and its role in HNC, with a particular focus on oral squamous cell carcinoma. The problematic def…

Mucocutaneous Leishmaniasis Mimicking Squamous Cell Carcinoma

2019

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic infectious disease caused by protozoan species belonging to the [...]

Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) risk in breast cancer patients after zoledronic acid treatment

2010

The importance of adoption of recommendations for ONJ prevention strategy will notably grow for zoledronic acid in the next future, in view of possible further enlargement of its indications (even with different timing and schedules) in breast cancer patients without bone metastases (such as in adjuvant and neo-adjuvant settings, and in hormonotherapy-induced osteopenia

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw in a cancer patient receiving lenvatinib.

2018

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is an adverse drug reaction that affects the mandible and maxilla of patients exposed to bone-targeting agents such as anti-resorptive and anti-angiogenic agents. Several MRONJ cases have been reported after dental extractions in patients under treatment with anti-angiogenic agents, including receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL) inhibitor, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) monoclonal antibody, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). The aim of this article was to describe an original case of lenvatinib-related osteonecrosis of the jaw in a patient affected …

Proceedings della Tavola Rotonda e Italian Consensus su appropriatezza clinica in Medicina orale e Chirurgia Orale - Parte II

2019

Mesenchymal stem cells derived from inflamed dental pulpal and gingival tissue: a potential application for bone formation

2017

Background Chronic periodontal disease is an infectious disease consisting of prolonged inflammation of the supporting tooth tissue and resulting in bone loss. Guided bone regeneration procedures have become common and safe treatments in dentistry, and in this context dental stem cells would represent the ideal solution as autologous cells. In this study, we verified the ability of dental pulp mesenchymal stem cells (DPSCs) and gingival mesenchymal stem cells (GMSCs) harvested from periodontally affected teeth to produce new mineralized bone tissue in vitro, and compared this to cells from healthy teeth. Methods To characterize DPSCs and GMSCs, we assessed colony-forming assay, immunophenot…

Probiotics Can Cure Oral Aphthous-Like Ulcers in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients: A Review of the Literature and a Working Hypothesis

2019

Dysbiosis has been associated with the onset of several chronic autoimmune or inflammatory pathologies (e.g., inflammatory bowel diseases—IBD), because of its primary role in the establishment of a chronic inflammatory process leading to tissue damage. Inflammatory bowel diseases can even involve areas far away from the gut, such as the extraintestinal manifestations involving the oral cavity with the onset of aphthous-like ulcers (ALU). Studies carried out on animal models have shown that intestinal dysbiosis may be related to the development of autoimmune diseases, even if the mechanisms involved are not yet well known. The aim of this paper is to verify the hypothesis that in inflammator…

Site-Coded Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Evaluation by Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT): A Descriptive Pilot Study

2022

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is an emerging non-invasive method for oral diagnostics, proving to be a practicable device for epithelial and subepithelial evaluation. The potential validity of OCT in oral cancer assessment has been explored but, to date, there are very few investigations conducted with a systematic comparison between clinical/histological and OCT parameters, especially in strict reference to the anatomical site-codification of the oral mucosa. In this regard, our study performed a two-steps evaluation (in vivo OCT and histological investigations) of suspected OSCCs, progressively recruited, using as references the OCT images of the same site-coded healthy mucosa, to pr…

Adjuvant denosumab in early breast-cancer

2020

We read with interest the D-CARE trial report by Robert Coleman and colleagues1 on the adjuvant administration of denosumab in patients with early-stage breast cancer. Despite the negative results, which pose concerns about high dose denosumab schedules in an adjuvant setting, this large and well- designed trial can provide useful clinical data that are usually difficult to obtain from observational studies, particularly regarding medication- related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ).

Use of Optical Coherence Tomography in Patients with Desquamative Gingivitis: A Case Series

2019

A Cemento-ossifying fibroma of the mandible in an 18 years old female patient: a case report

2019

One changing and challenging scenario: the treatment of cancer patients with bone metastases by bisphosphonates and denosumab, the cost-benefit evalu…

2022

Antiresorptive drugs (bisphosphonates and denosumab) have become the cornerstone of medical supportive treatment of bone metastases in solid cancer patients. In the beginning, the choice of available antiresorptive agents was limited to bisphosphonates and the treatment options restricted principally to monthly pamidronate and monthly zoledronic acid. Introduction of new antiresorptive therapies (monthly denosumab) and schedules (zoledronic acid every 3 months, upfront or after initial period of monthly infusion) in the last decade increased the range of available options, thus challenging treatment decision making. Direct and indirect costs of very different treatment options are difficult…

A new exciting hypothesis: direct correlation between periodontitis and clinical evolution of COVID-19 patients.

2020

The aim of the present opinion article is to hypothesize a possible correlation between clinical evolution of COVID-19 and a chronic inflammatory disease such as periodontitis. Reviews have been performed about the correlations between COVID-19 and IL-6, COVID-19 and diabetes, diabetes and periodontitis. Several studies discussed the role played by IL-6 in the pathogenetic mechanisms of COVID-19. A recent study found that COVID-19 adult patients with diabetes, without other comorbidities, were at greater risk of numerous diseases COVID related, such as severe pneumonia and excessive uncontrolled inflammatory responses. Besides, serum levels of inflammation-related biomarkers, such as IL-6, …

Oral lichen planus in children: An Italian case series

2023

Oral lichen planus usually occurs in adults; there are no clear data regarding the incidence and the clinical features of oral lichen planus in children. This paper reports clinical findings, treatments, and outcomes of 13 Italian patients with oral lichen planus in childhood diagnosed between 2001 and 2021. The most common finding was keratotic lesions with reticular or papular/plaque-like patterns, confined to the tongue in seven patients. Although oral lichen planus in childhood is rare and the malignant transformation index is unknown, specialists must be aware of its characteristics and oral mucosal lesions must be correctly diagnosed and managed.

Second Opinion System for Intraoral Lesions

2014

In this paper we present the prototype of a teledentistry system to perform the remote diagnosis of oral diseases. It makes use of a particular device called intra-oral (or dental) camera properly designed to shoot video and take pictures of the inner part of the mouth. The intra-oral cameras can be connected via USB to a common PC and they are very cheap, unlike the intra-oral photography kit for DSLR cameras. Usually this kind of devices are used in dentistry studies for local visualization by means of specialized software. The novelty of our system is that the real-time video produced by this device is canalized into a video streming by means of Video LAN client server (VLC) and pictures…

Osteoporosis and bisphosphonates-related osteonecrosis of the jaw: Not just a sporadic coincidence-a multi-centre study

2011

Abstract Introduction Bisphosphonates (BPs) are powerful drugs that inhibit bone metabolism. Adverse side effects are rare but potentially severe such as bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ). To date, research has primarily focused on the development and progression of BRONJ in cancer patients with bone metastasis, who have received high dosages of BPs intravenously. However, a potential dilemma may arise from a far larger cohort, namely the millions of osteoporosis patients on long-term oral BP therapy. Patients and methods This current study assessed 470 cases of BRONJ diagnosed between 2004 and 2008 at eleven different European clinical centres and has resulted in the …

Drug delivery from the oral cavity: focus on a novel mechatronic delivery device

2007

Dental drug delivery systems have been used for a long time, in particular for the local therapy of diseases affecting the oral cavity. Research today concentrates on the design of formulations to increase their retention time. Even today, however, prosthetic devices incorporating drug delivery are rarely used. Mainly, they are focused on prophylaxis and the release of antibacterial agents. However, as buccal delivery, because of its undeniable advantages, has become popular for systemic drug delivery, and prolonged well-controlled release has been identified as beneficial, especially for chronic diseases, a new class of delivery systems is evolving: highly miniaturized computerized deliver…

Metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma of the parotid region without lung metastasis: a case report

2009

Parotid gland metastatic tumours are rare, usually arising from a primary mucosal or cutaneous cancer located in the ipsilateral head and neck region, although metastases from a primary cancer outside the head and neck region are possible. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) rarely metastasizes to the head and neck region and the parotid glands are an even more unusual site. The authors describe the case of an 82-year-old male who presented with a right parotid mass. Percutaneous incisional biopsy with histological and immunohistochemical studies suggested metastatic HCC. Radiological investigations excluded other metastatic lesions. This case illustrates the difficulties that may be encountered…

Warthin's tumor distribution within the parotid gland. A feasible etiologic source from lymph nodal tissue.

2010

AIM: Warthin's tumor (WT) is the second commonest parotid gland neoplasm after pleomorphic adenoma (PA). It mainly arises from the lower pole of the superficial parotid lobe (i.e., tail of gland), a site with the greatest distribution of intra-parotid lymph nodes, and its definitive etiopathogenesis is still unclear. The aim of this study was to support the strict topic and etiologic link hypothesised between this tumor and the intraparotid lymph nodes, as being massively present in the tail, by assessing the WT distribution within the parotid gland. METHODS: Seventy-one WTs excised from 64 patients were compared retrospectively with 134 PAs from 133 patients, as controls. In all sample, st…

Osteonecrosis of the jaw related to non-antiresorptive medications: a systematic review

2018

The reporting of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) related to anticancer agents without known antiresorptive properties (non-antiresorptives), such as antiangiogenics, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and cytotoxic chemotherapy is increasing. To review characteristics of ONJ in cancer patients receiving non-antiresorptives. A systematic review of the literature between 2009 and 2017 was conducted by the Bone Study Group of MASCC/ISOO. Of 6249 articles reviewed and from personal communication, 42 ONJ cases related to non-antiresorptives were identified. No gender predilection was noted. Median age was 60 years and ONJ stage 2 wa…

American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons position paper: Bisphosphonate-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaws-2009 update: the need to ref…

2009

With reference to the 2009 update of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons posi- tion paper, Bisphosphonate-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaws (BRONJ), a relevant modification to the previous classification has been made and a new stage (0) added. The latter stage has been defined as “patients with no clinical evidence of necrotic bone, but who present with nonspecific symptoms or clinical and radiographic findings . . .” and the need for various clinical and radiologic aspects in defining this condi- tion was confirmed. .

RE: Regorafenib Also Can Cause Osteonecrosis of the Jaw

2016

H3 and H3.3 histone mRNA amounts and ratio in oral squamous cell carcinoma and leukoplakia.

2006

Histone variants (e.g. H3) play an important role in chromatin structure and gene expression regulation of normal cells. Aims of this study were to: (1) estimate H3 and H3.3 histone mRNA expressions and their ratio in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and oral leukoplakia (OL); (2) investigate whether H3 and H3.3 variants could play a role in the pathogenesis of OSCC and OL, also conditionally to HPV infection, age, gender, and main habits (tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking) in human beings studied. Twenty-three cases of OSCC and 20 cases of OL were examined in lesion site (LS) and juxtaposed clinically undamaged site (JUS) by RT-PCR for H3 and H3.3 histone mRNA; 13 healthy oral mucosa…

Osteonecrosis of jaw (onj): impact of italian patients, and role of italian physicians, dentists, and researchers in the growing evidence of a “new” …

2012

Purpose: Osteonecrosis of jaw (ONJ) is an uncommon but severe complication observed mostly in patients treated with bisphosphonates (BPs) for bone metastases, myeloma, osteoporosis (so called BRONJ, Bisphosphonate-Related Osteonecrosis of Jaw), but also with other drugs (bevacizumab, sunitinib, denosumab). The number of cases observed in Italy appears high in comparison with other countries and we present a review of several aspects of ONJ in Italy and the role of Italian health professionals and researchers on increasing knowledge and adequate reporting of ONJ phenomenon; Methods: Literature review about osteonecrosis of jaw (ONJ) with selection of Italian authors and publications, on year…

BRONJ in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A multicenter case series

2016

Objective: Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is a potentially severe adverse effect of various medications (bisphosphonates, anti-resorptive, and anti-angiogenic drugs). ONJ pathogenesis is still unclear although some risk factors have been recognized. Of these, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been hypothesized as a potential risk factor for developing ONJ. This observational study will describe a multicenter case series of patients affected with RA and ONJ, and it will attempt to evaluate the association between features of ONJ and pharmacological, systemic, and site variables. Methods: Demographic, pharmacological, and clinical data from 18 RA patients with ONJ were collected and registered fr…

Osteonecrosis of the Jaw in Myeloma Patients Receiving Denosumab or Zoledronic Acid. A Commentary of the Pivotal Trial by Raje et al. Published on La…

2018

The recent randomized trial, published by Raje et al., on Lancet Oncology is potentially practice changing. It proposes that denosumab is a valid alternative to zoledronic acid in the treatment of myeloma patients. However, several points need further data and more details, such as information on incidence, diagnosis, and follow-up of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) cases, observed among treated patients. Adopted definition to adjudicate ONJ cases, type of registration of potential ONJ cases, length of observation are possible causes of potential underestimation of ONJ incidence in their study. Future updated evaluations with longer follow-up, and including actuarial estimation, are required…

Nonexposed Variant of Bisphosphonate-associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaw: A Case Series

2010

Abstract Purpose To report a case series of patients with the nonexposed variant of bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw—a form of jaw osteonecrosis that does not manifest with necrotic bone exposure/mucosal fenestration. Methods Among 332 individuals referred to 5 clinical centers in Europe because of development of jawbone abnormalities after or during exposure to bisphosphonates, we identified a total of 96 patients who presented with the nonexposed variant of osteonecrosis. Relevant data were obtained via clinical notes; radiological investigations; patients' history, and referral letters. Results The most common clinical feature of nonexposed osteonecrosis was jaw bone pa…

A new exciting hypothesis: direct correlation between periodontitis and clinical evolution of COVID-19 patients. Preprint.

2020

The aim of the present opinion article is to hypothesize a possible correlation between clinical evolution of COVID-19 and a chronic inflammatory disease such as periodontitis. Reviews have been performed about the correlations between COVID-19 and IL-6, COVID-19 and diabetes, diabetes and periodontitis. Several studies discussed the role played by IL-6 in the pathogenetic mechanisms of COVID-19. A recent study found that COVID-19 adult patients with diabetes, without other comorbidities, were at greater risk of numerous diseases COVID related, such as severe pneumonia and excessive uncontrolled inflammatory responses. Besides, serum levels of inflammation-related biomarkers, such as IL-6, …

Review of: "A web site page for information about Osteonecrosis of Jaw (ONJ) : the Rete Oncologica Piemonte e Valle d'Aosta experience, at www.reteon…

2021

Long-standing oral ulcers: proposal for a new `S-C-D classification system’

2008

Persistent oral ulcers and erosions can be the final common manifestation, sometimes clinically indistinguishable, of a diverse spectrum of conditions ranging from traumatic lesions, infectious diseases, systemic and local immune-mediated lesions up to neoplasms. The process of making correct diagnosis for persistent oral ulcers still represents a challenge to clinicians. Major diagnostic criteria should include the clinical appearance of both ulcer and surrounding non-ulcerated mucosa, together with the evaluation of associated signs and symptoms, such as: number (single or multiple), shape, severity of the ulcer(s), conditions of remaining mucosa (white, red or with vesiculo-bullous lesio…

Global Change and the Dentistry. A Wish from Italy and DoctOral App for the New Open Dental Journal “POJ Dental and Oral Care”

2017

Epidemiology of desquamative gingivitis: evaluation of 125 patients and review of the literature

2009

Background  Desquamative gingivitis (DG) is a descriptive term used to indicate epithelial desquamation, erythema, erosions, and/or vesiculobullous lesions of the gingiva. DG is commonly associated with several mucocutaneous disorders and systemic conditions that may carry a poor prognosis and high morbidity; however, there are no clear data concerning the frequency of these disease associations. Methods  We investigated the epidemiologic features of DG in 125 patients and compared our findings with information from a literature review. Results  In our series, 88% of patients with DG had one of the following three disorders: oral lichen planus (OLP), mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP), or pem…

The association between periodontal diseases and cardiovascular diseases: A narrative review

2008

Pathophysiology of age-related diseases

2009

Abstract A Symposium regarding the Pathophysiology of Successful and Unsuccessful Ageing was held in Palermo, Italy on 7-8 April 2009. Three lectures from that Symposium by G. Campisi, L. Ginaldi and F. Licastro are here summarized. Ageing is a complex process which negatively impacts on the development of various bodily systems and its ability to function. A long life in a healthy, vigorous, youthful body has always been one of humanity's greatest dreams. Thus, a better understanding of the pathophysiology of age-related diseases is urgently required to improve our understanding of maintaining good health in the elderly and to program possible therapeutic intervention.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Detection in Keratotic Variants of Oral Lichen Planus: Negative Results in a Preliminary Open Study

2017

Background During the last few decades, several researches have been identified HPV genomic sequences in Head Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas (HNSCC) and in Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders (OPMD) hypothesizing a possible viral etiological role. However, the reported prevalence of HPV-DNA (varying from 0% to 100%) in these lesions result still very discordant. Objective Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in Oral Lichen Planus (OLP) has been largely investigated but not so extensively with respect to its morphological/histopathological features. The possible influence of hyper-keratosis/parakeratosis in HPV detection for keratotic variants of OLP is here proposed and investigated. Materi…

New paradigms for dental prevention of medication related osteonecrosis of jaws (MRONJ)

2018

ONJ-Prevention of local osteonecrosis risk factors should be planned before and during the intake of associated drugs, according to new schedules. Secondary prevention requires a careful clinical oral examination, but also first level X-ray examinations and, when necessary, second level (CT) too. Three main risk factors of ostonecrosis of the jaws (ONJ) are recognised: (i) the type of ONJ-related medications: antiresorptive (e.g., Bisphosphonates, Denosumab) and antiangiogenic drugs (e.g., Bevacizumab, Sunitinib); (ii) the category of patient at MRONJ risk: cancer versus non-cancer patient; (iii) the typologies and timing of dental treatments (e.g., before, during, or after the drug adminis…

Cleavage of desmoglein 3 can explain its depletion from keratinocytes in pemphigus vulgaris.

2008

We have previously demonstrated that serum of patients with pemphigus vulgaris induces reduction of desmoglein 3 (Dsg3) half-life in keratinocytes (FEBS Lett 2006: 580: 3276). This phenomenon seems to occur as a consequence of the progressive depletion of Dsg3 from desmosomes. Here we reported that reduction of full-length Dsg3 may be due to its progressive cleavage, leading to the formation of two fragmentation products with apparent molecular masses of about 60 kDa (fragment 1) and 70 kDa (fragment 2), as revealed by Western blotting. Unexpectedly, analysis of fragmentation pattern suggested cleavage to occur intracellularly. Consistently, fragment 1 was shed and localized within the cyto…

MRONJ in breast cancer patients under bone modifying agents for cancer treatment-induced bone loss (CTIBL): a multi-hospital-based case series

2023

Abstract Background Cancer treatment-induced bone loss (CTIBL) is the most common adverse event experienced by patients affected by breast cancer (BC) patients, without bone metastases. Bone modifying agents (BMAs) therapy is prescribed for the prevention of CTIBL, but it exposes patients to the risk of MRONJ. Methods This multicentre hospital-based retrospective study included consecutive non-metastatic BC patients affected by MRONJ related to exposure to low-dose BMAs for CTIBL prevention. Patients’ data were retrospectively collected from the clinical charts of seven recruiting Italian centres. Results MRONJ lesions were found in fifteen females (mean age 67.5 years), mainly in the mandi…

HPV in oral squamous cell carcinoma vs head and neck squamous cell carcinoma biopsies: a meta-analysis (1988-2007).

2008

Abstract INTRODUCTION: In the literature, there exists a wide range of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA prevalence for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), especially in relation to methods of viral detection and the lesion site. We estimated the pooled prevalence of HPV DNA in biopsies of HNSCC generically grouped versus oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in relation to the method of viral DNA detection, with the primary end point of verifying if these two variables (specification of tumour site and method of HPV DNA identification) influence the datum on HPV assay. METHODS: By means of MEDLINE/PubMED/Ovid databases, we selected studies examining paraffin-embedded (PE) biopsies of…

Analysis of M1 and M2 tumor associated macrophages in tongue squamous cell carcinomas.

2019

Il ruolo dell’odontoiatra nella medicina estetica: norme e indicazioni

2012

Riassunto Obiettivi Scopo del lavoro e valutare al laureato in Odontoiatria e Protesi Dentaria se sia consentito attuare trattamenti di Medicina Estetica del volto prospettati per modulare gli effetti negativi dell’invecchiamento e, al contempo, analizzare i cambiamenti estetici delle strutture periorali associati all’eta. Materiali e metodi Vengono descritti sinteticamente quali trattamenti coinvolgono clinicamente la professione odontoiatrica, con particolare riguardo alle infiltrazioni di tossina botulinica e di filler o volumizzanti, con un cenno anche agli aspetti civilistici e assicurativi correlati a tali trattamenti. Risultati e conclusioni Nell’ultimo decennio si e registrato un im…

Oral lichen planus, hepatitis C virus, and HIV: no association in a cohort study from an area of high hepatitis C virus endemicity

2004

Abstract Objectives We sought to assess the age-specific prevalence of oral lichen planus (OLP) in Mediterranean patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) and to evaluate the features of OLP in relation to sex, smoking, HCV genotype, HIV-1 coinfection, and antiviral treatments. Methods In all, 178 anti-HCV-positive adults (60 women and 118 men; age range 20-66 years) recruited from two cohorts (104 HIV-negative patients and 74 patients with HIV coinfection) underwent oral examination. Results Overall prevalence of OLP was 2.8% (5 of 178) (male/female ratio 0.2; odds ratio=0.119; 95% confidence interval=0.013-1.106), only among HIV-negative participants, always in the reticular pattern, …

Oral HPV Infection: Current Strategies for Prevention and Therapy

2012

Infection with High Risk (HR) Human Papillomaviruses (HPVs) is the main aetiological agent of Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma (CSCC) and also associated in a subgroup of other neoplasms, including Oropharyngeal Squamous cell Carcinoma (OPSCC). HPV infection, in genital as in oral mucosa, can also be subclinical or associated with benign proliferative lesions (common warts, condylomas, papillomas) caused mostly by infection with Low Risk (LR)-HPVs. In the last decades, extensive research has resulted in growing knowledge on HPV biology and specifically viral life cycle, biochemical properties of viral proteins and their interaction with the host proteins leading to potential new targets of …

Effect of c-Met expression on survival in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

2005

The proto-oncogene c-Met has been suggested to be associated with progression of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. The aims of the present study were to assess the prevalence of c-Met expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to verify whether c-Met can be considered a marker of prognosis in these patients. In a retrospective study, a cohort of 84 OSCC patients was investigated for c-Met expression and its cellular localization by immunohistochemistry. After grouping for c-Met expression, OSCC patients were statistically analyzed for the variables age, gender, histological grading, tumor node metastasis, staging and overall survival rate. Univariate and multivariate …

Plasma HIV-1 RNA and route of transmission in oral candidiasis and oral hairy leukoplakia

2000

Infezione orale da Human papillomavirus: dalla verruca al carcinoma orale. Epidemiologia, clinica, prevenzione e terapia

2015

Riasunto Obiettivi Prendere in esame l’epidemiologia e le manifestazioni cliniche dell’infezione orale da Human papillomavirus (HPV), con particolare attenzione alle lesioni con potenziale oncologico maligno. Materiali e metodi E stata condotta una revisione sistematica della letteratura finalizzata a descrivere lo stato dell’arte in merito all’infezione da HPV nella mucosa orofaringea e alle relative modalita di trasmissione del virus con particolare riferimento alla possibile contemporanea infezione in sedi anatomiche multiple. Vengono approfonditi gli aspetti riguardanti la prevenzione e il controllo dell’infezione mediante la somministrazione di vaccini e lo svolgimento di campagne cono…

The Management of Dental Practices in the Post-COVID 19 Era: An Economic and Operational Perspective

2020

Background: In order to protect dental teams and their patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, dentists have had to adopt several measures (operating and post-operating procedures) which may increase the total treatment time and costs relating to individual protective measures. This paper will propose a thorough analysis of operating dentistry procedures, comparing the economic performance of the activity in a dental surgery before and after the adoption of these protective measures, which are required to contain the risk of SARS-COV-2 infections. Methods: The economic analysis is articulated in three approaches. Firstly, it assesses a reduction in markup by maintaining current charges (A)

New Prospectives in the Delivery of Galantamine for Elderly Patients Using the IntelliDrug Intraoral Device: In Vivo Animal Studies

2009

The transbuccal delivery of drugs could assist several categories of chronic, especially elderly, patients in adhering to a correct dosage regimen. In particular, patients suffering from dementia have several difficulties in following the prescribed dosage, in addition to problems associated with swallowing tablets. Galantamine is currently used for treating patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's-type dementia. The transbuccal delivery of this drug could be an interesting non- invasive and safe administration route. Several studies have been performed in vitro and ex vivo within the framework of a European Commission funded Project (IntelliDrug-FP6), aimed at developing a device which w…

Osteonecrosis of jaw beyond antiresorptive (bone-targeted) agents: new horizons in oncology

2016

Introduction: Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is a clinically important, potentially painful and debilitating condition, which can affect the quality of life of cancer patients. Since 2003, ONJ appeared as a Bisphosphonate(BP)-related class effect, and the term Bisphosphonate-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (BRONJ) was widespread. Areas Covered: Under discussion in this review is the fact that ONJ cases have been reported after treatment including antiangiogenic agents and other “targeted therapy”, with and without BPs. Consequently, the comprehensive term Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (MRONJ) has been introduced. The clinical aspects and the prognosis of ONJ associated with t…

Surgery-triggered and non surgery-triggered Bisphosphonate-related Osteonecrosis of the Jaws (BRONJ): A retrospective analysis of 567 cases in an Ita…

2011

Invasive local procedures are often reported in clinical history of patients suffering from Bisphosphonates-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaws (BRONJ) but over 40% of spontaneous forms have been also described in literature. We compared age, gender, underlying bone disorders, bisphosphonate therapy, clinical features and surgical outcome of 205 cases (36.2%) of BRONJ non surgery-triggered (group 1) with 362 (63.8%) cases of surgery-triggered forms (group 2). Differences between group 1 and 2 were analysed using Mann-Whitney U and χ2 tests. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA 8. Zoledronate was the most used type of bisphosphonate (63.4% versus 69.0%) and the mandible was the most …

The association between burning mouth syndrome and sleep disturbance: A case-control multicentre study

2018

Objectives: To investigate the quality of sleep and the psychological profiles of a large cohort of Italian patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS) and to clarify the relationships between these variables and pain. Methods: In this case–control study, 200 patients with BMS vs an equal number of age- and sex-matched healthy controls, recruited in 10 universities, were enrolled. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A), Numeric Pain Intensity Scale (NRS) and Total Pain Rating Index (T-PRI) were administered. Descriptive statistics, including the Mann–Whitney U test and …

Intraoral electrostimulator for xerostomia relief: a long-term, multicenter, open-label, uncontrolled, clinical trial

2012

Objective A previous sham-controlled multinational study demonstrated the short-term efficacy and safety for xerostomia treatment of an intraoral device that delivers electrostimulation to the lingual nerve. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that those beneficial effects would be sustained over an 11-month period. Study Design The device was tested on a mixed sample of 94 patients with xerostomia in an open-label, uncontrolled, prospective multicenter trial. Statutory outcome assessments were done at 5th, 8th, and 11th months and analyzed by multiple comparisons. Results Improvements achieved at month 5 from baseline were sustained throughout the follow-up period for th…

Update on gingival overgrowth by cyclosporine A in renal transplants

2007

Severe gingival overgrowth is one of the most frequent side effects in renal transplant patients associated with assumption of cyclosporine A. Several associations with age, sex, dosage, duration of therapy or interval since transplantation have been hypothesized. The introduction of alternative immunosuppressant drugs have been suggested to permit better long-term transplant outcomes and a decrease in incidence of gingival overgrowth. The aim of the present paper is to summarize current knowledge regarding aetiology, pathogenesis and management of gingival overgrowth induced by Cyclosporine A. El sobrecrecimiento gingival severo es uno de los efectos adversos más frecuentes en los paciente…

Covid-19 Pandemic: What Changes for Dentists and Oral Medicine Experts? A Narrative Review and Novel Approaches to Infection Containment

2020

The authors performed a narrative review on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome- CoronaVirus-2 ( SARS-CoV-2) and all infectious agents with the primary endpoints to illustrate the most accepted models of safety protocols in dentistry and oral medicine, and to propose an easy view of the problem and a comparison (pre- vs post-COVID19) for the most common dental procedures. The outcome is forecast to help dentists to individuate for a given procedure the differences in terms of safety protocols to avoid infectious contagion (by SARS-CoV-2 and others dangerous agents). An investigation was performed on the online databases Pubmed and Scopus using a combination of free words and Medical Subject H…

Electronic buccal drug delivery system to treat addiction and chronic diseases: A porcine study in the frame of “IntelliDrug” project

2006

examination followed by the administration of a risk factor questionnaire. A cervical, buccal, occlusal/incisal, and lingual score was recorded for each tooth using a modified version of the Tooth Wear Index (Smith and Knight, 1984). Rank correlations, one-way and two-way ANOVA were used to test for associations between risk factors and percent of surfaces with wear. Results: 44 patients (31.9%) had at least one cervical lesion 1-2mm deep. 118 patients (85%) had dentin exposure on at least one incisal edge. Cervical lesions were most frequently observed on mandibular 1 premolars. Incisal/occlusal wear was most common on mandibular central incisors. Age was significantly correlated with over…

Odontogenic Cysts: A 30-Year Retrospective Clinicopathological Study

2019

Hydrophilic Sponges loaded with Curcumin solid lipid nanoparticles and Metronidazole applied on L-PRF clot to promote tissue regeneration in dentistry

2018

Leukocyte-and platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF) technology allows for the preparation of strong fibrin membranes enriched with cells (activated platelets, leukocytes, circulating cells) and platelet growth factors [1]. In dentistry, the use of this autologous platelet concentrates such as L-PRF, also in association with Metronidazole (MTR), seems an innovative approach for vestibular bone grafting on the alveolar ridges [2]. In addition, Curcumin (CUR), a natural polyphenol derived from the rhizome of the Curcuma longa, could be effectiveness on tissue regeneration due to its well-known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties [3]. The aim of the present work was the development of bioerodib…

Dental Public Health Landscape: Challenges, Technological Innovation and Opportunities in the 21st Century and COVID-19 Pandemic

2020

The convergent forces of rising costs, growing consumerism, expensive new treatments, sociodemographic shifts and increasing health disparities are exerting intense and unsustainable pressures on healthcare systems. As with the other health domains, these disruptive forces demand new approaches and delivery models for oral healthcare. Technological innovations and practices borrowed from the e-commerce and tech sectors could facilitate the move to a sustainable 21(st) century oral healthcare system, one that delivers high-quality, value-based care to wider groups of patients. The broad reach of mobile technologies and changing digital lifestyles provide unique opportunities for using remote…

Osteonecrosis of the Jaw in Patients With Metastatic Renal Cell Cancer Treated With Bisphosphonates and Targeted Agents: Results of an Italian Multic…

2015

Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) associated with the use of bisphosphonates has been rarely reported in metastatic renal cell cancer (RCC) patients. Since the introduction of combined therapies consisting of nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (NBPs) and targeted agents, an increasing number of RCC patients were reported to develop ONJ, suggesting that therapeutic angiogenesis suppression might increase the risk of ONJ in NBPs users. We performed a multicenter retrospective study and reviewed literature data to assess the occurrence and to investigate the nature of ONJ in RCC patients taking NBPs and targeted agents. Nine Italian Centers contributed to the data collection. Patients with expos…

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) in Dental Extraction of Patients at Risk of Bisphosphonate-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaws: A Two-Year Longitudinal Study

2020

: Dental extraction has often been described as the main trigger event of osteonecrosis of the jaws (ONJ). This longitudinal hospital-based study aimed to evaluate the outcome at 2 years of a standardized medical-surgical protocol for dental extraction, combined with platelet rich-plasma (PRP) application, compared with conventional protocol not combined with PRP or any other autologous platelet concentrate in cancer (ONC) and osteometabolic (OST) patients, at risk of bisphosphonate (BP)-related ONJ. Twenty patients were consecutively recruited: six received BPs for cancer skeletal-related events (34.17 &plusmn

Squamous Cell Tumors Recruit γδ T Cells Producing either IL17 or IFNγ Depending on the Tumor Stage

2017

Abstract The identification of reciprocal interactions between tumor-infiltrating immune cells and the microenviroment may help us understand mechanisms of tumor growth inhibition or progression. We have assessed the frequencies of tumor-infiltrating and circulating γδ T cells and regulatory T cells (Treg) from 47 patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), to determine if they correlated with progression or survival. Vδ1 T cells infiltrated SSC tissue to a greater extent than normal skin, but SCC patients and healthy subjects had similar amounts circulating. However, Vδ2 T cells were present at higher frequencies in circulation than in the tissue of either cancer patients or healthy donor…

Protein Cargo of Salivary Small Extracellular Vesicles as Potential Functional Signature of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

2021

The early diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is still an investigative challenge. Saliva has been proposed as an ideal diagnostic medium for biomarker detection by mean of liquid biopsy technique. The aim of this pilot study was to apply proteomic and bioinformatic strategies to determine the potential use of saliva small extracellular vesicles (S/SEVs) as a potential tumor biomarker source. Among the twenty-three enrolled patients, 5 were free from diseases (OSCC_FREE), 6 were with OSCC without lymph node metastasis (OSCC_NLNM), and 12 were with OSCC and lymph node metastasis (OSCC_LNM). The S/SEVs from patients of each group were pooled and properly characterized before perf…

Clinical Validation of 13-gene DNA Methylation Analysis from Oral Brushing: A Non Invasive Sampling Procedure for Early Detection of Oral Squamous Ce…

2019

In a recent study our research group described a non-invasive sampling procedure based on [...]

Necrotizing fasciitis of the face: A life-threatening condition

2009

Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a highly aggressive infectious process, polymicrobial in nature, involving soft tissues with a high risk of rapid spread through superficial and deep fascial planes and muscular layers. Cervical NF is quite rare, is mostly of odontogenic origin, and may be complicated by descendant mediastinitis with a very high mortality rate. Systemic conditions impairing the patient's immune competence, such as diabetes, may play a predisposing role. An effective treatment strategy includes prompt diagnosis (clinical findings, local microbiological tests, blood culture and, if deemed necessary, histopathology), broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy as early as possible which sho…

Human buccal mucosa as an innovative site of drug delivery.

2009

The authors review the ultra-structural aspects and permeability features of normal human oral mucosa, after having recently tested and used it as a new site of systemic drug delivery. The pertinent scientific literature from 1975 through 2009 has been analysed and discussed. Buccal epithelium is a relatively permeable, robust non-keratinized tissue and blood vessels drain directly into the jugular vein; due to its particular features, it has been of increasing interest to researchers as an alternative site of drug administration. The review describes the structure and function of the buccal mucosa, the rationale for transbuccal drug delivery and the main transmucosal drug delivery systems.…

The dental management of patients at risk of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw: New paradigm of primary prevention

2018

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a serious adverse reaction of antiresorptive and antiangiogenic agents; it is a potentially painful and debilitating condition that can considerably affect the quality of life of patients. Furthermore, even if its epidemiology and pathogenesis have still not been fully clarified, several risk factors related to MRONJ have been recognized in prevention protocols. Three main risk factors are as follows: (i) the type of ONJ-related medications: antiresorptive (e.g., Bisphosphonates, Denosumab) and antiangiogenic drugs (e.g., Bevacizumab, Sunitinib); (ii) the category of patient at MRONJ risk: cancer versus non-cancer patient; (iii) the typ…

Human Papillomavirus Infection: A Risk Factor for Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancers

2020

A wide range of human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence data is now available for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs), especially for those cancers originating from the epithelial lining of the upper aero-digestive tract (UADT) (i.e., the pharynx, the larynx, and the oral cavity). There is strong evidence that supports HPV as an etiological cause of head and neck carcinogenesis particularly for distinct oropharyngeal subsites. A specific molecular, histopathological, clinical, and prognostic profile is intimately connected with HPV infection. While the role of HPV in oropharyngeal carcinogenesis is firmly acknowledged, its role in oral cancer is currently being debated. Several re…

Methionine synthase reductase (MTRR) A66G polymorphism is not related to plasma homocysteine concentration and the risk for vascular disease.

2009

Epidemiological evidence has revealed that hyperhomocysteinemia increases the risk for vascular disease. Methionine Synthase Reductase (MTRR) is one of several key enzymes in the homocysteine metabolic pathway and its mutant forms have been implicated in abnormal homocysteine accumulation. In this study, we determined total plasma homocysteine levels and MTRR A66G polymorphism in 114 patients with vascular disease: 58 patients with deep-vein thrombosis, 56 patients with arterial thrombosis, and 95 healthy subjects from the Sicilian population. Our data confirmed that, as already reported, moderately elevated t-Hcy levels are correlated with an increased risk of vascular disease. In our stud…

Enhanced In Situ Availability of Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae Constituents Entrapped in Buccal Films for the Treatment of Oxidative Stress-Related Oral D…

2019

In recent years, the key role of oxidative stress in pathogenesis of oral diseases has been emphasized and the use of antioxidant agents has been encouraged. Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA) is a unicellular blue-green alga with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of this study was the formulation and characterization of mucoadhesive thin layer films loaded with AFA, finalized to the treatment of oxidative stress (OS)-related oral diseases. First, to enhance the bioavailability of AFA constituents, the raw food grade material was appropriately treated by a high frequency homogenization able to disrupt cell walls. Thus, Eudragit&reg

Beta-catenin and surviving expression in keratocystic odontogenic tumor (KCOT). A comparative immunohistochemical study in primary, recurrent and nev…

2013

Aim: To determine the epithelial expression of ß-catenin and survivin in sporadic (primary, and recurrent) and nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS) keratocystic odontogenic tumour (KCOT) in order to assess activation of the ß-catenin pathway and evidence of apoptotic inhibition, processes that may contribute to the known differences in their biological behaviour. Materials and Methods: Sections from 40 cases of KCOT (19 sporadic/primary; 9 sporadic/recurrent and 12 NBCCS-associated) were immunohistochemically stained for ß-catenin and survivin. The extent and intensity of immunoreactivity within the lining epithelium was assessed, using semi-quantitative scales, independently by two…

Current Controversies in Classification, Management, and Prevention of Bisphosphonate-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw

2014

Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is a serious complication associated with oral and intravenous bisphosphonate therapy that adversely affects the quality of life, producing significant morbidity. Since the first description of bone necrosis in patients receiving bisphosphonate therapy in 2003 [1], hundreds of studies were published about this topic and various national and international medical societies have published protocols and guidelines. Nevertheless, there are still many controversies regarding the classification, management, and prevention of BRONJ. Even the definition of BRONJ is still debated and changed with the progress of knowledge and experience. Accord…

Chemopreventive and Anticancer Role of Resveratrol against Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

2023

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most prevailing and aggressive head and neck cancers, featuring high morbidity and mortality. The available conventional treatments suffer from several adverse effects and are often inefficient in terms of their survival rates. Thus, seeking novel therapeutic agents and adjuvants is of the utmost importance for modern society. Natural polyphenolic compounds have recently emerged as promising chemopreventive and anticancer agents. Specifically, the natural compound resveratrol (RSV) has recently gained momentum for this purpose. RSV is useful for treating OSCC due to its antiproliferative, antimetastatic, and proapoptotic effects. Additionall…

Aging and Oral Health: Effects in Hard and Soft Tissues

2009

Changing demographics, including an increase in life expectancy and the growing numbers of elderly has recently focused attention on the need for geriatric dental care. Ageing affects oral tissues in addition to other parts of the human body, and oral health (including oral mucosa, lips, teeth and associated structures, and their functional activity) is an integral component of general health; indeed, oral disease can cause pain, difficulty in speaking, mastication, swallowing, maintaining a balanced diet, not to mention aesthetical considerations and facial alterations leading to anxiety and depression. The World Health Organization recommends the adoption of certain strategies for improvi…

Osteoporosis, jawbones and periodontal disease

2012

The association between osteoporosis and jawbones remains an argument of debate. Both osteoporosis and periodontal diseases are bone resorptive diseases; it has been hypothesized that osteoporosis could be a risk factor for the progression of periodontal disease and vice versa. Hypothetical models linking the two conditions exist: in particular, it is supposed that the osteoporosis-related bone mass density reduction may accelerate alveolar bone resorption caused by periodontitis, resulting in a facilitated periodontal bacteria invasion. Invading bacteria, in turn, may alter the normal homeostasis of bone tissue, increasing osteoclastic activity and reducing local and systemic bone density …