No abstract

Objectives Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a potent vasoconstrictor involved not only in vascular biology but also in carcinogenesis. Results of a study in 2007 suggested salivary ET-1 as a potential biomarker for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), but a later study showed conflicting results. The purpose of our pilot study was to investigate feasibility of using salivary ET-1 as a biomarker for OSCC in two groups: oral lichen planus (OLP) patients and patients with OSCC in remission. Materials and Methods Saliva samples were collected from five groups of subjects: patients with newly diagnosed, active OSCC (Group A); patients with OSCC in remission (Group B); patients with active OLP lesions (Group C); patients with OLP in remission (Group D); and normal controls (Group E). Salivary ET-1 levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the results were analyzed by the Mann Whitney U test. Results The mean salivary ET-1 level in Group A was significantly higher than that found in Group C (p=0.001), Group D (p=0.015) or Group E (p=0.004). There were no significant differences (p>0.05) in the mean salivary ET-1 levels between Groups A and B; Groups B and C; Groups B and D; Groups B and E; Groups C and D; Groups C and E; or Groups D and E. Conclusion Salivary ET-1 could be a good biomarker for OSCC development in OLP patients regardless of the degree of OLP disease activity. However, it appeared not to be a good biomarker for detecting recurrence of OSCC in patients in remission.

The microdebrider is an exciting and promising instrument that has previously only been described for treatment of laryngeal papillomas in pediatric patients. However, we have found that correct utilization of the various tip configurations available on this instrument have made management of many airway lesions commonly encountered by pediatric otolaryngologists safer, more expedient, cheaper, and simpler than previously described methods. In our practice, this instrument has largely supplanted the use of the CO 2 laser and some open approaches for management of many pediatric tracheal problems.

Hydroxyapatite cements are safe in craniofacial reconstruction. The highest risk of implant infection comes from reconstruction in the area of the frontal sinus, immediately beneath coronal incisions, and in patients who receive postoperative radiation treatment. Based on our results, there does appear to be a statistically significant difference in rates of infection and foreign body reaction between the different types of hydroxyapatite cement. We would not recommend implantation of this material in contact with the frontal sinus. Caution should be exercised when it is placed directly beneath an incision or in patients receiving postoperative radiation, particularly if a boost dose is given.

C-4.

Despite significant deficits on presentation, permanent morbidity was low. Streptococcus milleri is a common pathogen with complications of sinusitis in children.

Objectives To gather preliminary data concerning the feasibility of using 7 salivary mRNAs--IL-8; IL-1β; dual specificity phosphatase 1 (DUSP1); H3 histone family 3A (H3F3A); ornithin decarboxylase antizyme 1 (OAZ1); S100 calcium-binding protein P (S100P); and spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase 1 (SAT1)—for detecting development of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in oral lichen planus (OLP) patients and OSCC patients whose disease was in remission. Materials and Methods Saliva samples were collected from five study groups (25 subjects/group): newly-diagnosed OSCC; OSCC-in-remission; disease-active OLP; disease-inactive OLP; and normal controls. The salivary mRNA levels were determined by a pre-amplification RT-qPCR approach with nested gene-specific primers. Mean fold changes between each pair of study groups were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney U test. Results Salivary levels of OAZ1, S100P, and DUSP1 mRNAs were significantly higher in newly-diagnosed OSCC patients, compared to: 1) normal controls (p=0.003; p=0.003; and p<0.001, respectively); 2) OSCC-in-remission (p<0.001; p=0.001; and p<0.001, respectively); 3) disease-active OLP (p<0.001; p=0.016; and p<0.001, respectively); and 4) disease-inactive OLP (p=0.043; p<0.001; and p<0.001, respectively). No significant differences were found in the levels of salivary IL-8, IL-1β, H3F3A and SAT1 mRNAs between newly-diagnosed OSCC patients and the normal controls (p=0.093, 0.327, 0.764 and 0.560, respectively). Conclusion Salivary OAZ1, S100P and DUSP1 mRNAs are candidate biomarkers for detecting OSCC development in OSCC patients in remission and in OLP patients. Clinical Relevance The results of this study serve as the basis for a further large-scale study which may lead to a non-invasive screening method for early detection of OSCC.

Human papillomavirus (HPV), particularly HPV16 and HPV18, can cause cancers in diverse anatomical sites, including the anogenital and oropharyngeal (throat) regions. Therefore, development of safe and clinically effective therapeutic vaccines is an important goal. Herein, we show that a recombinant fusion protein of a humanized antibody to CD40 fused to HPV16.E6/7 (aCD40-HPV16.E6/7) can evoke HPV16.E6/7-specific CD8 þ and CD4 þ T-cell responses in head-and-neck cancer patients in vitro and in human CD40 transgenic (hCD40Tg) mice in vivo. The combination of aCD40-HPV16.E6/7 and poly(I:C) efficiently primed HPV16. E6/7-specific T cells, particularly CD8 þ T cells, in hCD40Tg mice.Inclusion of montanide enhanced HPV16.E6/7-specific CD4 þ , but not CD8þ , T-cell responses. Poly(I:C) plus aCD40-HPV16.E6/7 was sufficient to mount both preventative and therapeutic immunity against TC-1 tumors in hCD40Tg mice, significantly increasing the frequency of HPV16-specific CD8þ CTLs in the tumors, but not in peripheral blood. In line with this, tumor volume inversely correlated with the frequency of HPV16.E6/7-specific CD8 þ T cells in tumors, but not in blood. These data suggest that CD40-targeting vaccines for HPV-associated malignancies can provide a highly immunogenic platform with a strong likelihood of clinical benefit. Data from this study offer strong support for the development of CD40-targeting vaccines for other cancers in the future.