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Objective: To identify serum levels of galectin-3 in salivary gland cancer and healthy populations; a prospective analysis was performed on serum specimens from 105 patients with salivary gland cancer and 56 healthy persons. Methods: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure levels of galectin-3 (GAL-3). Serum levels were compared between patients with salivary gland tumors and healthy control. A total of 105 patients were enrolled in the study (55 men, 50 women). Result: Mean age was 45.5 years. Thirty-nine patients with malignant and 66 cases with benign tumors were compared with 56 healthy participants with a mean age of 51.7. No statistically significant differences were observed when comparing GAL-3 serum levels between malignant and benign salivary gland tumor patients, but a statistically significant difference was found between case and control patients with p-values of 0.02. Serum levels of galectin-3 protein were elevated in patients with salivary gland cancer compared with the healthy population. Conclusion: The difference between benign and malignant tumor patients was significant, but revealed no clinic pathological characteristics in malignant tumors. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time a study suggests that GAL-3 serum levels could help clinicians screen for salivary gland cancer.

Statement of the Problem: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most frequent oral cancer whose 5-year survival rate is 80% for early-detected lesions and nearly 30-50% for advanced lesions. Early detection of oral cancers and precancerous lesions can improve the patient’s survival and decrease the morbidity. Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate and compare the Ki-67 and MCM3 expression in cytologic smear of oral SCC (OSCC). Materials and Method: We examined 48 oral brush biopsies including 28 OSCC and 20 healthy non-smoking samples. Immunocytochemistry staining was performed for Ki-67 and MCM3 by using an EnVision-labeled peroxidase system, and labeling index (LI) was calculated. Results: Out of 28 OSCC cases, 27(96.4%) cases contained MCM3 positive cells and 22(78%) cases contained Ki-67 positive cells. All normal mucosa were Ki-67 and MCM3 negative. MCM3 and Ki-67 LI were significantly higher in OSCC than normal mucosa (p< 0.001). MCM3 LI was significantly higher than Ki-67 LI in OSCC group (p< 0.001). Conclusion: Immunocytologic evaluation of Ki-67 and MCM3 can be used for early detection of OSCC. Furthermore, MCM3 may be a more sensitive cytologic biomarker than Ki-67 in SCC patients.

Chondromyxoid fibroma (CMF) is a benign tumor which usually occurs in skeletal long bones. Its presence in zygoma is extremely rare. The patient was a 47-year-old female, with chief complaint of painful swelling in the left side of zygoma since 1 month ago after a long-lasting painless swelling for about 15 years. Computed tomography scan showed an osteolytic lesion, in the body of left zygomatic bone with lobulated and well-demarcated margins. During surgery, the mass was completely excised and the histological feature of the tumor was in favor of CMF. CMF is benign tumor and complete resection is the treatment of choice.

Statement of the Problem: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of certain diseases and cancers via tissue destruction and can be secreted into the blood stream. MMP9 expression in the salivary gland tissue was evaluated but their serum level in the salivary gland tumors was not studied. Purpose: The aim of our study was to determine the concentration of serum MMP-9 in healthy participants and in patients with salivary gland tumor. Materials and Method: Using an ELISA kit, the circulating levels of MMP-9 in sera from 58 patients with salivary gland tumor (31 pleomorphic adenoma, 17 adenoid cystic carcinoma and 10 mucoepidermoid carcinoma) and 30 healthy controls was assessed. Results: The serum MMP9 level in patients with salivary gland tumors (380.0±301.3 pg/ml) also patients with benign tumors (354.3±218.7 pg/ml) (354.3±218.7 pg/ml) were significantly lower than that in the healthy group (727.4±624.6 pg/ml) (Respectively p= 0.02 and p= 0.01). Mean serum MMP9 concentration in malignant tumors was (402.3±441.8pg/ml) higher than benign tumors (354.3±218.7 pg/ml) but the difference was not significant (p= 0.9). Conclusion: Our results showed that serum level of MMP9 decreased in patients with salivary gland tumors which suggest that MMP9 may not have a potential role in development and pathogenesis of salivary gland tumor.

O carcinoma espinocelular (CEC) é a neoplasia mais comum do trato aerodigestivo superior. A interleucina-13 (IL-13) é uma citocina imunorreguladora com polimorfismos relatados para seu gene associados com a mesma doença, especialmente asma e alergia. O presente estudo investigou se os polimorfismos do gene da IL-13 (posições 1055C/T no gene promotor da 1L-13 e +2044G/T exon 4) podem distinguir os pacientes com CEC de cabeça e pescoço de controles saudáveis. MÉTODO: O estudo analisou pacientes com CEC de cabeça e pescoço (n = 137) pareados por idade e sexo com um grupo de controles saudáveis (n = 127). A genotipagem do polimorfismo do gene da IL-13 foi executada pelo método de polimorfismo no comprimento de fragmentos de restrição baseado em reação em cadeia da polimerase. RESULTADOS: Não foram identificadas diferenças estatisticamente significativas nas frequências dos genótipos e alelos entre pacientes e controles em ambas as posições (p = 0,16). Além disso, não foi observada associação entre os genótipos investigados e outros fatores prognósticos, como idade, sexo, localização do tumor primário, tamanho do tumor e tabagismo. CONCLUSÃO: O presente estudo sugere que não há associação entre os polimorfismos do gene da IL-13 (nas posições -1055C/T e +2044GI A) e suscetibilidade dos pacientes a CEC de cabeça e pescoço. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common malignancy that involves the upper aerodigestive tract. Interleukin-13 (IL-13) is an immunoregulatory cytokine that has been reported to have some polymorphisms in it gene associated with same disease especially asthma and allergy. The present study aimed to investigate whether the polymorphisms of IL-13 gene (at positions of 1055C/T in the promoter of1L-13 gene and +2044G/T exon-4) differ in patients with head and neck SCC from healthy controls. METHODS: This study was investigated in patient with head and neck SCC (n = 137) and age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n = 127). Genotyping of IL-13 gene polymorphism was performed using polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism method. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were found in the frequencies of genotypes and alleles between patients and control group at both sites (p = 0.16). In addition, no association was observed between investigated genotypes and other potential prognostic factors such as age, sex, primary tumor site, tumor size and smoking. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that there is no association between IL-13 gene polymorphisms (at position -1055C/T and +2044GI A) and susceptibility of the patients to SCC of head and neck.

CONTEXT: Malignant neural sheath tumors of the trigeminal nerve affecting the nasal cavity and the paranasal sinuses are extremely rare. With conventional optical microscopy, their identification is difficult, and it is necessary to confirm them by means of electron microscopy and immunohistochemical techniques. CASE REPORT: The patient was a 41-year-old woman with a ten-month progressive history of pain followed by painful edema in the left facial region, and with symptoms of bleeding, secretion and nasal obstruction. Studies with imaging methods suggested the presence of an expansive process in the left nasal and paranasal cavities. In the biopsy, the histopathological findings from optical microscopy were suggestive of a tumor of neural origin in the trigeminal nerve. Immunohistochemical and electron microscopy studies confirmed that it was a malignant tumor of the neural sheath of the trigeminal nerve. We describe the clinical, radiological, and histological features of this tumor and review the literature. CONTEXTO: O tumor maligno da bainha neural do trigêmeo que acomete a cavidade nasal e os seios paranasais é extremamente raro. À microscopia óptica habitual sua identificação é difícil, sendo necessária a confirmação através de microscopia eletrônica e de técnicas imunoistoquímicas. RELATO DE CASO: A paciente era uma mulher de 41 anos com história de 10 meses de progressiva dor seguida de edema álgico em região facial à esquerda, e de sintomas de sangramento, secreção e obstrução nasal. Estudos com métodos de imagem sugeriam a presença de processo expansivo em cavidades nasais e paranasais à esquerda. À biopsia, os achados histopatológicos à microscopia óptica foram sugestivos de tumor de origem neural no trigêmeo. Estudos imunoistoquímico e por microscopia eletrônica confirmaram se tratar de neoplasia maligna da bainha neural do trigêmeo. Descrevemos as características clínicas, radiológicas e histológicas deste tumor, e revisamos a literatura.