Background:Early detection of recurrence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), which is often obscured by surgical or radiotherapy-induced tissue distortion, is essential for proper patient management.Methods:A total of 143 consecutive patients with previously untreated HNSCC were evaluated by whole-body fluorine 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) and regular clinical follow-up after curative treatment. The 18F-FDG PET/CT was performed ∼3–6 and 12 months after treatment and findings suspicious for recurrence or SPC were confirmed using histopathology.Results:The sensitivities of 3–6- and 12-month PET/CT scans at patient level were 96% and 93%, respectively, and those of regular clinical follow-up were 11% and 19%, respectively (McNemar test, P<0.001). In patients with no clinical suspicion, PET/CT detected 95% and 91% of recurrent patients at 3–6 and 12 months, respectively. The sensitivity of PET/CT for the identification of SPC was 29% and 80% at 3–6 and 12 months, respectively. A positive interpretation of PET/CT was significantly associated with poor overall survival (log-rank test, P<0.001).Conclusion:The 18F-FDG PET/CT surveillance is beneficial for the detection of recurrence that may be missed by regular follow-up physical and endoscopic examinations of the head and neck area after curative treatment for HNSCC.

Surgery and post-operative radiotherapy were effective for locoregional control. Lymphovascular invasion and perineural invasion were significant prognostic factors in patients with SDC.

Early postoperative hypoalbuminemia <2.5 g dl(-1) is an independent risk factor for the development of SSI in patients undergoing oral cancer surgery. Clinicians should be aware of the implications of postoperative hypoalbuminemia and consider more intensive postoperative care in these patients.

Expression of the gene encoding metallothionein, a low molecular-weight cysteine-rich, stress-response and metal-binding protein was examined in human adipose tissue. The mRNA for MT-2A, a major metallothionein isoform in humans, was detected in subcutaneous fat using a specific antisense oligonucleotide probe. The level of MT-2A mRNA was significantly higher in a group of obese subjects than in a lean group, paralleling a similar increase in ob mRNA. A two-week period on a diet of 800 calories/day did not lead to any significant change in MT-2 mRNA levels. Separation of mature adipocytes from the cells of the stromal vascular fraction indicated that in human adipose tissue the metallothionein (MT-2A) gene is expressed both in adipocytes and in other cells of the tissue.

Background and purpose:Benzoxathiolone derivatives have shown anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory potential in acne and psoriatic disorders. However, little is known about the molecular basis for these pharmacological effects. In this study, we decided to investigate the anti-inflammatory actions of a benzoxathiolone derivative LYR-71, 6-methyl-2-propylimino-6,7-dihydro-5H-benzo[1,3]oxathiol-4-one, in interferon (IFN)-g-activated macrophages. Experimental approach: RAW 264.7 macrophages or primary macrophages, derived from bone marrow of C3H/HeJ mice, were stimulated with IFN-g in the presence of LYR-71. Nitric oxide (NO) or chemokine production was measured by Griess reaction or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RAW 264.7 cells were used to examine the molecular mechanisms of LYR-71 in modulating IFN-g-induced inflammatory responses. Key results: LYR-71 down-regulated IFN-g-induced transcription of inducible NO synthase, IFN-g-inducible protein-10 and the monokine induced by IFN-g genes in macrophages. This effect was mediated by uncoupling tyrosine phosphorylation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-1 in response to IFN-g. LYR-71 directly inhibited the in vitro catalytic activity of Janus kinase (JAK)-2. Further, the inhibitory actions of LYR-71 on IFN-g-induced STAT-1 phosphorylation and NO production were consistently abolished in the presence of peroxyvanadate, implying another target dependent on protein tyrosine phosphatase. Conclusions and implications: Taken together, LYR-71 could restrain IFN-g-induced inflammatory responses through uncoupling the tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT-1, an activation index of JAK-STAT-1 signalling, in macrophages. These results may provide a molecular mechanism underlying anti-inflammatory actions shown by benzoxathiolone derivatives.