• The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.129-137
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• 2015

PURPOSE. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the tongue has a relatively high incidence of all oral cancers. Some studies have reported a relationship between intraoral dental prosthesis and SCC of the tongue; however, this relationship remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between SCC of the tongue and the positional aspects of dental prosthesis using a retrospective analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A total of 439 patients with SCC of the tongue were diagnosed and treated in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Seoul National University Dental Hospital. Patients were treated over a 12.5-year period ranging from January 1, 2001 to June 30, 2013. Statistical analysis was performed to examine potential differences between the groups. RESULTS. The number of patients with a crown and/or a bridge (134, 63.5%) was significantly different than the number of patients without a prosthesis (77, 36.5%). Even after accounting for different types of prostheses such as crowns, bridges, and dentures, no significant differences were observed between the position of the prosthesis and the location of the SCC of the tongue, with significance defined as a P-value less than .05 by the Pearson-Chi square test. CONCLUSION. Patients with crowns and/or bridges exhibited more frequent SCC of the tongue compared with patients without these prosthesis. These data support the hypothesis that mechanical trauma and galvanic phenomena play a role in the etiology of SCC of the tongue.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.45-49
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• 2018

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the quantitative strain elastography of tongue carcinoma using intraoral ultrasonography. Materials and Methods: Two patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) who underwent quantitative strain elastography for the diagnosis of tongue lesions using intraoral ultrasonography were included in this prospective study. Strain elastography was performed using a linear 14 MHz transducer (Aplio 300; Canon Medical Systems, Otawara, Japan). Manual light compression and decompression of the tongue by the transducer was performed to achieve optimal and consistent color coding. The variation in tissue strain over time caused by the compression exerted using the probe was displayed as a strain graph. The integrated strain elastography software allowed the operator to place circular regions of interest (ROIs) of various diameters within the elastography window, and automatically displayed quantitative strain (%) for each ROI. Quantitative indices of the strain (%) were measured for normal tissues and lesions in the tongue. Results: The average strain of normal tissue and tongue SCC in a 50-year-old man was 1.468% and 0.000%, respectively. The average strain of normal tissue and tongue SCC in a 59-year-old man was 1.007% and 0.000%, respectively. Conclusion: We investigated the quantitative strain elastography of tongue carcinoma using intraoral ultrasonography. Strain elastography using intraoral ultrasonography is a promising technique for characterizing and differentiating normal tissues and SCC in the tongue.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.1415-1419
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• 2016

The tongue has been globally considered as an indicator of general health for millennia. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and distribution of tongue lesions in an Iranian population. In this retrospective study, data from 6,435 oral biopsy reports over a 22-year period (1992-2014) were retrieved from archives of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Department, Shahid Beheshti Dental School, Tehran, Iran. These reports were analyzed according to age, sex, type of lesion and location. Prevalence of tongue lesions were reported as percentages. Out of total oral lesions, 238 (3.7%) were found in the tongue, with the incidence peak (42%) being between 41-60 years. Men constituted 53% and women 47%of patients. The youngest patient was a 3-year-old girl with pyogenic granuloma and the oldest one was a 93-year-old man with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). SCC was the most common (25%) lesion generally found in the lateral border of the tongue with a male predilection. The second and third most prevalent lesions of the tongue were benign keratosis (frictional keratosis) (13.4%) and leukoplakia (13%).White-red lesions (38.6%) were the most frequent subgroup followed by neoplastic lesions (28%). Moreover, irritation fibroma, non-specific ulcers, squamous papilloma, and hemangioma were found as the most frequent lesions in their related subgroups.Given the high rate of SCC of the tongue in Iranian patients, this area should be examined more carefully by dental practitioners and physicians.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.23-33
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• 2014

Several studies have shown that curcumin, which is derived from the rhizomes of turmeric, possesses antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The antitumor properties of curcumin have also now been demonstrated more recently in different cancers. This study was undertaken to investigate the modulation of cell cycle-related proteins and the mechanisms underlying apoptosis induction by curcumin in the SCC25 human tongue squamous cell carcinoma cell line. Curcumin treatment of the SCC25 cells resulted in a time- and dose-dependent reduction in cell viability and cell growth, and onset of apoptotic cell death. The curcumin-treated SCC25 cells showed several types of apoptotic manifestations, such as nuclear condensation, DNA fragmentation, reduced MMP and proteasome activity, and a decreased DNA content. In addition, the treated SCC25 cells showed a release of cytochrome c into the cytosol, translocation of AIF and DFF40/CAD into the nuclei, a significant shift in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, and the activation of caspase-9, caspase-7, caspase-6, caspase-3, PARP, lamin A/C, and DFF45/ICAD. Furthermore, curcumin exposure resulted in a downregulation of G1 cell cycle-related proteins and upregulation of $p27^{KIP1}$. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that curcumin strongly inhibits cell proliferation by modulating the expression of G1 cell cycle-related proteins and inducing apoptosis via proteasomal, mitochondrial, and caspase cascades in SCC25 cells.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.287-292
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• 2014

Objectives : The purpose of the study is to examine the cell growth effect and autophagy effect of Scutellariae Radix by ethanol extract in SCC 25 cells. Methods : Cell growth inhibitory effect and autophagy induced by Scutellariae Radix were confirmed by WST-1 assay, monodansylcadaverine(MDC) stain, and flow cytometry by acridine orange(AO) stain. Results : The Scutellariae Radix treatment decreased the cell proliferation in a dose and time dependent manner. Scutellariae Radix has anticancer effects that autophagic vacuoles were apparent by MDC and AO staining in SCC 25 cells. Conclusions : Scutellariae Radix showed anticancer activity against SCC 25 cells via autophagy. The data provided the possibility that Scutellariae Radix may potentially contribute to oral cancer treatment.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2011

Introduction: The characteristics of oral tongue squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) and the treatment results were reviewed to determine the appropriate treatment strategies. Materials and Methods: The medical records of 140 patients diagnosed and treated for oral tongue SCC at Yonsei University Health System from January 1995 to December 2004 were reviewed. For statistic analysis, the survival rate was determined using the Kaplan-Meier method with SPSS version 12.0, and the difference in survival rates was evaluated using a log-rank test. Results: The mean age of the patients with oral tongue SCC patients was 55 (19-85 years old). According to the T, N and pathologic stage, the patients were distributed from a higher to a lower incidence of cases, as follows: T2 (46.4%), T1 (37.9%), T4 (8.5%), and T3 (7.1%); N0 (65%), N1 (20.7%), N2 (13.6%), and N3 (0.7%); and stage I (31.4%), stage II(25.7%), stage IV (22.2%), and stage III (20.7%). Local and regional recurrence and distant metastasis was present in 13.6%, 5% and 4.2% of patients, respectively. The five-year survival rate was 72.2%, and the prognostic factors for oral tongue SCC included neck metastasis, pathologic stage of the disease, cell differentiation, treatment modality, neck dissection as part of the treatment plan, and neck node recurrence. Discussion: It is suggested that ipsilateral neck dissection or bilateral neck dissection should be selected as a treatment of tongue SCC patients with advanced stage.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.61-72
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• 2009

Chios gum mastic (CGM) is a resin produced from the stem and leaves of Pistiacia lentiscus L var chia, a plant which grows only on Chios Island in Greece. CGM has been used for many centuries as a dietary supplement and folk medicine for stomach and duodenal ulcers in many Mediterranean countries and is known also to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in some cancer cells. In this study, we further investigated the induction and mechanisms underlying the apoptotic response to CGM treatment in the SCC25 human tongue squamous cell carcinoma cell line. The viability of SCC25 cells, human normal keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) and human gingival fibroblasts (HGF-1 cells), and the growth inhibition of SCC25 cells were assessed by MTT assay and clonogenic assay, respectively. Staining with Hoechst and hemacolor dyes and TUNEL assays were employed to detect SCC25 cells undergoing apoptosis. SCC25 cells were treated with CGM, and this was followed by western blotting, immunocytochemistry, confocal microscopy, FACScan flow cytometry, MMP activity and proteasome activity analyses. CGM treatment of SCC25 cells was found to result in a time- and dosedependent decrease in cell viability, a dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth, and apoptotic cell death. Interestingly, CGM showed a remarkable level of cytotoxicity in SCC25 cells but not in normal cells. Tested SCC25 cells also showed several lines of apoptotic manifestation. Taken together, our present findings demonstrate that CGM strongly inhibits cell proliferation by modulating the expression of G1 cell cycle-related proteins and induces apoptosis via the proteasome, mitochondria and caspase cascades in SCC25 cells.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.193-199
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• 2014

Fluoride has been accepted as an important material for oral health and is widely used to prevent dental caries in dentistry. However, its safety is still questioned by some. Autophagy has been implicated in cancer cell survival and death, and may play an important role in oral cancer. This study was undertaken to examine whether sodium fluoride (NaF) modulates autophagy in SCC25 human tongue squamous cell carcinoma cells. NaF demonstrated anticancer activity via autophagic and apoptotic cell death. Autophagic vacuoles were detectable using observed to form by monodansylcadaverine (MDC) and acridine orange (AO). Analysis of NaF-treated SCC25 cells for the presence of biochemical markers revealed direct effects on the conversion of LC-3II, degradation of p62/SQSTM1, cleavage formation of ATG5 and Beclin-1, and caspase activation. NaF-induced cell death was suppressed by the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA). NaF-induced autophagy was confirmed as a pro-death signal in SCC25 cells. These results implicate NaF as a novel anticancer compound for oral cancer therapy.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.159-167
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• 2014

Curcumin is a widely used flavoring agent in food, and it has been reported to inhibit cell growth, to induce apoptosis, and to have antitumor activity in many cancers. Cisplatin is one of the most potent known anticancer agents and shows significant clinical activity against a variety of solid tumors. This study was undertaken to investigate the synergistic apoptotic effects of co-treatment with curcumin and cisplatin on human tongue SCC25 cells. To investigate whether the co-treatment efficiently reduced the viability of the SCC25 cells compared with the two treatments separately, an MTT assay was conducted. The induction and the augmentation of apoptosis were confirmed by DNA electrophoresis, Hoechst staining, and an analysis of DNA hypoploidy. Western blot, MMP and immunofluorescence tests were also performed to evaluate the expression levels and the translocation of apoptosis-related proteins following the co-treatment. In this study, following the co-treatment with curcumin and cisplatin, the SCC25 cells showed several forms of apoptotic manifestation, such as nuclear condensation, DNA fragmentation, reduction of MMP, increased levels of Bax, decreased levels of Bcl-2, and decreased DNA content. In addition, they showed a release of cytochrome c into the cytosol, translocation of AIF and DFF40 (CAD) to the nuclei, and activation of caspase-7, caspase-3, PARP, and DFF45 (ICAD). In contrast, separate treatments of $5{\mu}M$ of curcumin or $4{\mu}g/ml$ of cisplatin, for 24 hours, did not induce apoptosis. Therefore, our data suggest that combination therapy with curcumin and cisplatin could be considered as a novel therapeutic strategy for human oral squamous cell carcinoma.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.51-61
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• 2015

Shikonin, a major ingredient in the traditional Chinese herb Lithospermumerythrorhizon, exhibits multiple biological functions including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor effects. It has recently been reported that shikonin displays antitumor properties in many cancers. This study was aimed to investigate whether shikonin could inhibit oral squamous carcinoma cell (OSCC) growth via mechanisms of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. The effects of shikonin on the viability and growth of OSCC cell line, SCC25 cells were assessed by MTT assay and clonogenic assays, respectively. Hoechst staining and DNA electrophoresis indicated that the shikonin-treated SCC25 cells were undergoing apoptosis. Western blotting, immunocytochemistry, confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, MMP activity, and proteasome activity also supported the finding that shikonin induces apoptosis. Shikonin treatment of SCC25 cells resulted in a time- and dose-dependent decrease in cell viability, inhibition of cell growth, and increase in apoptotic cell death. The treated SCC25 cells showed several lines of apoptotic manifestation as follows: nuclear condensation; DNA fragmentation; reduced MMP and proteasome activity; decrease in DNA contents; release of cytochrome c into cytosol; translocation of AIF and DFF40 (CAD) onto the nuclei; a significant shift in Bax/Bcl-2 ratio; and activation of caspase-9, -7, -6, and -3, as well as PARP, lamin A/C, and DFF45 (ICAD). Shikonin treatment also resulted in down-regulation of the G1 cell cycle-related proteins and up-regulation of $p27^{KIP1}$. Taken together, our present findings demonstrate that shikonin strongly inhibits cell proliferation by modulating the expression of the G1 cell cycle-related proteins, and that it induces apoptosis via the proteasome, mitochondria, and caspase cascades in SCC25 cells.