Matteo D'Angelo

Low rate of oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in women screened for cervical HPV infection in Southern Italy: A cross‐sectional study of 140 immunocompetent subjects

Even though the natural history of cervical and oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been investigated intensely, the possibility that HPV may infect both sites in the same subject is not well documented. This study investigated the frequency of concurrent oral and cervical HPV infection in southern Italian women, in the light of some selected socio‐behavioral variables. One hundred forty women (mean age: 36 years), with known cervical HPV status, were analyzed for oral HPV. Age, smoking/drinking habits, clinical and socio‐behavioral history were assessed by personal interviews. Oral mucosal cells were collected by oral brushing and HPV DNA was sought by the use of nested PCR amplification followed by direct DNA sequencing and the commercial assay INNOLiPA HPV Genotyping (Innogenetics N.V., Ghent, Belgium). The data were analyzed by using the chi‐square test and a logistic regression (logit) model (P < 0.05 statistically significant). Oral HPV infection was detected in 2/140 (1.4%) cases, being present in 2/76 (2.6%) women with cervical HPV infection and 0/64 uninfected women (P = 0.19). A lack of type‐specific concordance in the two patients with concurrent infection was observed. In the sample of population examined, HPV cervical infection does not seem to predispose to oral transmission, even in the presence of oral–genital sexual habits, thus suggesting the independence of infection at the two mucosal sites. J. Med. Virol. 81:1438–1443, 2009.

Expression of cell cycle markers and human papillomavirus infection in oral squamous cell carcinoma: Use of fuzzy neural networks

Our aim was to evaluate in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) the relationship between some cell cycle markers and HPV infection, conditionally to age, gender and certain habits of patients, and to assess the ability of fuzzy neural networks (FNNs) in building up an adequate predictive model based on logic inference rules. Eighteen cases of OSCC were examined by immunohistochemistry for MIB‐1, PCNA and survivin expression; presence of HPV DNA was investigated in exfoliated oral mucosa cells by nested PCR (nPCR, MY09‐MY11/GP5‐GP6), and HPV genotype was determined by direct DNA sequencing. Data were analyzed by traditional statistics (TS) and FNNs. HPV DNA was found in 9/18 OSCCs (50.0 %) without any significant higher risk of HPV infection with respect to the sociodemographic variables considered (p > 0.2), apart from tobacco smoking, reported in 44.4% of OSCC HPV‐positive vs. 100% HPV‐negative subjects (p = 0.029). Regarding cell cycle markers, TS and FNN revealed that survivin was expressed significantly more in HPV‐negative than in HPV‐positive OSCC [root mean‐square error (RMSE) = 5.89 × 10–6, % predicted 100.0]; furthermore, smoking played a protective role for survivin expression in HPV‐positive cases (OR = 0.019, 95%CI 0.001–0.723, RMSE = 0.20, % of prevision 94.4). FNN, although on a small sample size, allowed us to confirm data by TS and to hypothesize a different cell cycle pattern for HPV‐positive vs. HPV‐negative OSCC. In the latter cases, the relevance of apoptotic vs. proliferative markers suggested that they may be related to the different supposed outcome of HPV‐negative OSCC and that HPV may have a protective role in the expression level of survivin, especially in tobacco smokers.

Aging and Oral Health: Effects in Hard and Soft Tissues

Changing demographics, including an increase in life expectancy and the growing numbers of elderly has recently focused attention on the need for geriatric dental care. Ageing affects oral tissues in addition to other parts of the human body, and oral health (including oral mucosa, lips, teeth and associated structures, and their functional activity) is an integral component of general health; indeed, oral disease can cause pain, difficulty in speaking, mastication, swallowing, maintaining a balanced diet, not to mention aesthetical considerations and facial alterations leading to anxiety and depression. The World Health Organization recommends the adoption of certain strategies for improving the oral health of the elderly, including the management and maintenance of oral conditions which are necessary for re-establishing effective masticatory function. Oral health is often neglected in the elderly, and oral diseases associated with aging are complex, adversely affecting the quality of life. Although oral health problems are not usually associated with death, oral cancers result in nearly 8,000 deaths each year, and more than half of these occur at an age of 65 years plus. This report, which is dedicated to geriatric physicians, geriatric dentistry and specialists in oral medicine reviews age-related oral changes in elderly patients and efforts to summarize the effects of aging in hard and soft oral tissues.

No Findings of Dental Defects in Children Treated with Minocycline

ABSTRACT Forty-one children <8 years of age treated for brucellosis with oral minocycline (2.5 mg/kg) twice daily for 3 weeks were recalled and examined to check for dental staining and defects. Dental staining and defects were found in 14 of 41 exposed children (34.1%) and in 30 of 82 matched controls (36.6%), respectively (P > 0.2).