Oral submucous fibrosis patients exhibited a significantly higher risk of malignant transformation than those without OSF. OL could enhance malignant transformation in patients with OSF.

Current evidence suggests that oral cancer stem cells (OCSCs) possess high tumorigenic and metastatic properties as well as chemo- and radioresistance. In this study, we demonstrated that andrographolide, the main bioactive component in the medicinal plant Andrographis, significantly reduced oncogenicity and restored radio-sensitivity of ALDH1+CD44+ OCSCs. Mechanistic studies showed that andrographolide treatment increased the expression of microRNA-218 (miR-218), leading to the downregulation of Bmi1. We showed that knockdown of miR-218 in ALDH1−CD44− non-OCSCs enhanced cancer stemness, while silencing of Bmi1 significantly counteracted it. Furthermore, we found tumor growth was reduced in mice bearing xenograft tumors after andrographolide treatment via activation of miR-218/Bmi1 axis. Together, these data demonstrated that the inhibition of tumor aggressiveness in OCSCs by andrographolide was mediated through the upregulation of miR-218, thereby reducing Bmi1 expression. These findings suggest that andrographolide may be a valuable natural compound for anti-CSCs treatment of OSCC.

Background/purpose Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is defined as various clinical signs and symptoms involving the masticatory muscles, the temporomandibular joint and associated structures. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of diagnosed TMD in Taiwan using a National Health Insurance Research Database from 2004 to 2013. Materials and methods A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the registered database compiled by the National Health Insurance from 2004 to 2013. The diagnosis of TMDs was identified in accordance with the International Classification of Disease, Ninth revision (ICD-9-CM 524.6). The relative risk of TMD from 2004 to 2013 after adjusting for year, age, and gender was evaluated by logistic regression analysis. Results The prevalence of TMD increased significantly from 14 (per 10 4 ) to 26 (per 10 4 ) over the past 10 year period [odds ratio (OR), 1.07; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.04–1.09]. The mean age with TMD from 2004 to 2013 was 52.31 ± 17.15 years and 45.12 ± 17.32 years, respectively. The female group had a higher risk of TMD than the male group (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.49–1.94). Conclusion Taken together, the estimated prevalence of TMD significantly increased from 2004 to 2013 in Taiwan. In addition, the risk for TMD was higher among women than among men.

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