The potential of CD44 as a diagnostic and prognostic tool in oral cancer

The CD44 family of molecules exists as a wide range of isoforms ubiquitously expressed on the surface of mammalian cells. The variation in patterns of CD44 expression on cancer cells has been widely studied in relation to their behaviour, and further interest has recently arisen in CD44 as a marker of the subfraction tumour cells acting as cancer stem cells in several types of tumours. This review focuses on the patterns of CD44 expression on the stem cell fraction of oral squamous cell carcinoma and on the relationship of detectably different patterns of CD44 expression to the behaviour of tumours.     

A practical guide for the study of human and murine sebaceous glands in situ

The skin of most mammals is characterised by the presence of sebaceous glands (SGs), whose predominant constituent cell population is sebocytes, that is, lipid‐producing epithelial cells, which develop from the hair follicle. Besides holocrine sebum production (which contributes 90% of skin surface lipids), multiple additional SG functions have emerged. These range from antimicrobial peptide production and immunomodulation, via lipid and hormone synthesis/metabolism, to the provision of an epithelial progenitor cell reservoir. Therefore, in addition to its involvement in common skin diseases (e.g. acne vulgaris), the unfolding diversity of SG functions, both in skin health and disease, has raised interest in this integral component of the pilosebaceous unit. This practical guide provides an introduction to SG biology and to relevant SG histochemical and immunohistochemical techniques, with emphasis placed on in situ evaluation methods that can be easily employed. We propose a range of simple, established markers, which are particularly instructive when addressing specific SG research questions in the two most commonly investigated species in SG research, humans and mice. To facilitate the development of reproducible analysis techniques for the in situ evaluation of SGs, this methods review concludes by suggesting quantitative (immuno‐)histomorphometric methods for standardised SG evaluation.     

(iv) Metal on metal hip replacement

The use of metal on metal bearings in hip replacement has rapidly gained popularity during the last decade. This is probably due to: (a) the problems associated with wear of traditional bearing couples, (b) the increased numbers of younger patients undergoing hip replacement and (c) the superior theoretical tribiological characteristics. However, following this widespread adoption of the metal on metal prosthesis, there has been an exponential increase in the number of adverse reports detailing reactions to metal debris. This review describes the history, development and current evidence surrounding metal on metal hip replacement.     

Liver and peripheral blood concentration ratio (L/P) as a marker of postmortem drug redistribution: a literature review

The liver to peripheral blood (L/P) ratio, based upon review of previously published works, was evaluated as a marker of postmortem redistribution (PMR). Literature supported the proposed model that drugs exhibiting an L/P ratio of less than 5 are prone to little or no PMR, while those with an L/P ratio greater than 20–30 have propensity for significant redistribution. Many antidepressants, including both tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, were markedly differentiated from drugs previously verified to be free from, or exhibit little, PMR. The magnitude of the liver to blood concentrations also appeared to provide an advantage over the conventional central to peripheral blood ratio model of PMR by demonstrating a wide range of values (1.6–97) for interpretation of drugs’ potential for, and variations in, redistribution.