Francisco Artur Forte Oliveira

Molecular Analysis of Oral Bacteria in Heart Valve of Patients With Cardiovascular Disease by Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction.

AbstractStructural deficiencies and functional abnormalities of heart valves represent an important cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and a number of diseases, such as aortic stenosis, have been recently associated with infectious agents. This study aimed to analyze oral bacteria in dental plaque, saliva, and cardiac valves of patients with cardiovascular disease. Samples of supragingival plaque, subgingival plaque, saliva, and cardiac valve tissue were collected from 42 patients with heart valve disease. Molecular analysis of Streptococcus mutans, Prevotella intermedia, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Treponema denticola was performed through real-time PCR. The micro-organism most frequently detected in heart valve samples was the S. mutans (89.3%), followed by P. intermedia (19.1%), P. gingivalis (4.2%), and T. denticola (2.1%). The mean decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) was 26.4 ± 6.9 (mean ± SD), and according to the highest score of periodontal disease observed for each patient, periodontal pockets > 4 mm and dental calculus were detected in 43.4% and 34.7% of patients, respectively. In conclusion, oral bacteria, especially S. mutans, were found in the cardiac valve samples of patients with a high rate of caries and gingivitis/periodontitis.

Clinical, histological, and immunohistochemical features of a mandibular metastasis from a primary cardiac angiosarcoma

Primary cardiac angiosarcoma is an extremely rare malignant tumor. Distant metastases are common at the time of diagnosis but have never been reported in the jaw. A 45-year-old female patient with primary cardiac angiosarcoma was referred for dental care due to pain in the mandibular alveolar ridge. Oral examination revealed a red-violet lesion that was soft on palpation and had been present for 3 months. Histological analysis confirmed the diagnosis of metastatic cardiac angiosarcoma. The patient died of multiple metastases.

Expression of S-100, EMA, CD34 and presence of mast cells in eight oral neurofibromas, and a review of 127 cases of the literature

Introduction: The rarity of oral neurofibromas (ONs) generates problems regarding their epidemiological and immunohistochemical characterization. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of different markers in ONs and review epidemiologic data reported in the literature. Material and methods: Clinicopathologic, immunohistochemical (markers S-100, epithelial membrane antigen [EMA], CD34) and histochemical (modified-Ziehl-Neelsen-method) studies were performed in eight cases of ON diagnosed in the Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine (DPML), Universidade Federal do Ceara (UFC), Ceara, Brazil, between 1994 and 2010. Results: Oral neurofibromas represented 0.2% of the oral lesions diagnosed by our service in 16 years, and the buccal mucosa was the most frequent oral site (71.4%). Seven (87.5%) and 8 (100.0%) cases were positive for S-100 and CD34, respectively, and none for EMA. Mast cells were identified in seven cases (87.5%). The literature search indicated that solitary ONs are more common and occur preferentially in females, affecting patients between 30 and 40 years old. The alveolar ridge is the most commonly involved site. Conclusion: S-100- and CD34 markers proved to be of great value as a diagnostic tool, unlike EMA staining. Identification of mast cells in most cases suggests their involvement in this tumor pathogenesis. The clinicopathologic data retrieved from the literature enabled the establishment of a more consistent epidemiological profile.