Epidermoid Cyst Arising in the Buccal Mucosa: Case Report and Literature Review

Epidermoid cysts are benign subcutaneous lesions, and the large majority of these cysts affect the floor of the mouth; however, the buccal mucosa is not the usual site of occurrence. To date, only 5 articles have been published with 6 cases of epidermoid cysts arising in the buccal mucosa. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe the clinical, histopathological and immunohistochemical features of a case of an epidermoid cyst located in the buccal mucosa. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an oral epidermoid cyst describing an intense foreign body gigantocellular inflammatory reaction against epithelial keratin component. Although the usual diagnosis for epidermoid cysts is based on histopathological findings, this case report addresses novel information regarding the immunohistochemical pattern which may be found in these lesions.     

Hereditary deficiency of vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors with skeletal abnormalities

We describe a female infant who presented with severe intracranial bleeding and was found to have a hereditary deficiency of vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors. She also had mild stippling of the left femoral epiphysis and shortness of the distal phalanges of the fingers. We studied the possible relationship between these abnormalities and a peroxisomal defect and followed their responses to treatment with vitamin K. The level of vitamin K-dependent clotting factors returned to near-normal following treatment with pharmacological doses of vitamin K, but there was no effect on the skeletal abnormalities. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

An integrated comparative physiology and molecular approach pinpoints mediators of breath-hold capacity in dolphins

Background and objectivesIschemic events, such as ischemic heart disease and stroke, are the number one cause of death globally. Ischemia prevents blood, carrying essential nutrients and oxygen, from reaching tissues, leading to cell and tissue death, and eventual organ failure. While humans are relatively intolerant to ischemic events, other species, such as marine mammals, have evolved a unique tolerance to chronic ischemia/reperfusion during apneic diving. To identify possible molecular features of an increased tolerance for apnea, we examined changes in gene expression in breath-holding dolphins.MethodologyHere, we capitalized on the adaptations possesed by bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) for diving as a comparative model of ischemic stress and hypoxia tolerance to identify molecular features associated with breath holding. Given that signals in the blood may influence physiological changes during diving, we used RNA-Seq and enzyme assays to examine time-dependent changes in gene expression in the blood of breath-holding dolphins.ResultsWe observed time-dependent upregulation of the arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase (ALOX5) gene and increased lipoxygenase activity during breath holding. ALOX5 has been shown to be activated during hypoxia in rodent models, and its metabolites, leukotrienes, induce vasoconstriction.Conclusions and implicationsThe upregulation of ALOX5 mRNA occurred within the calculated aerobic dive limit of the species, suggesting that ALOX5 may play a role in the dolphin’s physiological response to diving, particularly in a pro-inflammatory response to ischemia and in promoting vasoconstriction. These observations pinpoint a potential molecular mechanism by which dolphins, and perhaps other marine mammals, respond to the prolonged breath holds associated with diving.     

Functional evaluation of immunoregulatory molecules HLA-G,galectin-1, and IL-10 in people living with HIV

Objective(s):Investigate polymorphisms and expressions of human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G), galectin-1 (Gal-1), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in people living with HIV (PLHIV) with and without comorbidities to help understanding the mechanisms involved in triggering these disorders in PLHIV and in their prognosis.Design:Here we evaluated the potential correlation between the genetic polymorphism and/or protein levels of HLA-G, Gal-1, and IL-10 with and without comorbidities of PLHIV.Methods:Two hundred HIV patients under antiretroviral treatment (83 with comorbidities and 117 without comorbidities) and 200 healthy individuals (controls) were genotyped, using PCR, for HLA-G 14-base pair polymorphism located at the 3’ untranslated region in exon 8 insertion/insertion (Ins/Ins: low HLA-G expression) or deletion/deletion (Del/Del: high HLA-G expression). Soluble levels of HLA-G (sHLA-G), Gal-1, and IL-10 were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbet assay.Results:HIV patients without comorbidities exhibited higher frequency of 14-base pair Del/Del genotype than HIV patients with comorbidities. As expected, HIV patients Ins/Ins with and without comorbidities produced less sHLA-G than controls. However, HIV patients Del/Del with comorbidities expressed sHLA-G more than controls and HIV patients Del/Del without comorbidities. Interestingly, patients that showed low levels sHLA-G, and presence of comorbidities, exhibited high Gal-1 serum levels. However, an increase in soluble levels of IL-10 in PLHIV was observed when compared to controls, especially in the PLHIV group without comorbidities suggesting, a protective role of IL-10 in the development of comorbidities.Conclusions:These data suggested that the high expression of sHLA-G and IL-10 or Gal-1 could be associated and could be associated with the development or not of comorbidities in PLHIV.