Mastoid osteoma is a rare benign neoplasm of mesenchymal origin. Osteomas of the temporal bone are
infrequent, and these mastoid osteomas are a definite rare occurrence. These tumours can present with
cosmetic deformity and sometimes with pain. In this report we describe a patient with mastoid osteoma
who presented with cosmetic deformity and experienced retro auricular pain.
Introduction: Human leukocyte antigens (HLA) are a group of unique transmembrane glycoproteins that are ex-pressed on the surface of virtually all types of cells within the human body. These molecules are encoded by a set of highly polymorphic gene sequences known also as the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and play an essential role in the presentation of antigenic peptides to immune cells for recognition and response. In recent years, various HLA alleles have been found to be associated with different autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and allergic rhinitis. Identification of these alleles via HLA typing is necessary for initial screening and diagnosis purposes. Besides that, HLA typing is also used to determine compatibility matching between a donor and a recipient for tissue/organ transplantations in order to prevent graft rejection. Therefore, good quality and quantity of genomic DNA is required. In most scenarios, peripheral blood is chosen as the most reliable source of DNA for analysis, however this approach is seen as invasive and may cause pain and anxiety among the patients, particularly young children and weak subjects. Hence, derivation of genomic DNA from buccal cells as an alternative source material is becoming increasingly popular, especially in PCR-based genetic assays. Some of the most commonly described methods to collect buccal cells include using oral swabs, cytological brushes, mouthwashes and treated cards. Each technique yields varying quantities of DNA with diverse purity levels. In this study, we aim to evaluate the amount and purity of genomic DNA extracted from buccal swabs and brushes as well as blood for screening of selected HLA class II alleles. Methods: Cheek cell samples were col-lected using sterile foam tipped buccal swabs (Whatman) and buccal collection brushes (Gentra Puregene) whereas peripheral blood samples were withdrawn following routine venipuncture techniques. All samples were subjected to DNA extraction according to modified commercial kit protocols. Screening of selected HLA-DRB1 alleles was con-ducted via PCR with sequence-specific primers as established by Bunce et al. 1995. Results: There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the total DNA yield obtained from blood and buccal swab samples, which were 17.57μg (± 8.66) and 13.28μg (± 4.81), respectively. All samples exhibited similar 260/280 ratios of about ~1.80 (p > 0.05). However, buccal brush samples contributed the least amount of DNA (0.29μg, ± 0.12) compared to other sources (p < 0.05). The pure genomic DNA isolated from both blood and buccal swab samples were successfully typed for low resolution HLA-DRB1 alleles. Conclusion: Buccal swabs provide good quantity and quality of DNA for screening of HLA alleles with high accuracy and thus can be utilized as a non-invasive substitute for venipuncture.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that involved in various normal and cancer-related cellular pro-cesses. Studies on expression profiling of miRNAs have been performed and the data showed that some miRNAs are up-regulated or down-regulated in cancer. miRNAs play a crucial role in HNSCC development, metastasis, prognosis and survival rate. Several studies have been conducted previously to investigate that use of miRNAs as the biomark-ers in disease diagnostic/prognostic and potential therapeutic targets management that may improve the outcomes of HNSCC. Our previous study revealed that upregulation of oncogenic miRNAs including hsa-miR-181a-2*, hsa-miR-29b-1*, hsa-miR-181a, hsa-miR-181b, hsa-miR-744, hsa-miR-1271 and hsa-miR-221* were able to distinguish HNSCC from normal samples. These miRNAs may contribute in a simple profiling strategy to identify individuals at higher risk of developing head and neck cancers, thus helping in the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms involved in head and neck cancer pathogenesis.
This study sought to prospectively evaluate the influence of contrasted fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDGPET/CT) in the staging of and impact on the management plan for treatment in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). A total of 14 histologically proven NPC patients (mean age: 44.64±4.01years) were included in the study. These patients underwent contrasted Computed Tomography (CT) as well as 18F-FDGPET/CT imaging. Staging was based on the 7th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer Tumor Node Metastases (AJCCTNM) recommendations.The oncologist was asked to prospectively assign a treatment plan for all patients being evaluated by CT and 18F-FDGPET/CT. The treatment plans were compared with the incremental information supplied by the FDG-PET/CT. The maximum standardised uptake value (SUVmax) and the widest dimension of the primary tumour, cervical lymph nodes size and the distant metastatic lesions were quantified on the co-registered PET/CT images by two experienced nuclear radiologists. The contrasted 18F-FDGPET/CT changed the management intent in nine patients (64.7%). A univariate analysis showed that there were significant correlations between SUVmax and the size of the metastatic
lymph nodes (R2 =0.0761, p