Nasopharyngeal carcinoma （NPC） is a prevalent oral-maxillofacial head and neck cancer in China.Radiotherapy，the radical treatment for NPC，often causes oral adverse effects including osteoradionecrosis， mucositis，xerostomia and radiotherapy related caries. Inadequate pre -radiotherapy oral preparation not only impairs patients' oral health and subsequently reduces the quality of life，but also increases the complexity and difficulty of subsequent dental treatment，thus hindering optimal therapeutic outcome. Preradiotherapy oral preparation is of positive significance for both patients and dentists，but most dentists have limited knowledge of the content and timing of pre-radiotherapy oral preparation currently. This review summarizes common oral complications of radiotherapy，the significance，objectives and specific measures of oral preparation for NPC，aiming to provide clinical reference.
Oral and maxillofacial pain，defined as the pain originating from the head and neck，oral and facial regions or various oral tissues，is a common oral condition.Acid-sensing ion channel 3（ASIC3），mainly distributed in peripheral sensory neurons，participates in nociception，mechanosensation and chemosensation，and is a molecular determinant of tissue acidosis-related pain. Studying the role of ASIC3 in oral and maxillofacial pain is of great significance for understanding the mechanism of pain.This article reviews the research progress on the role of ASIC3 in oral and maxillofacial pain and its analgesic effect in recent years.
To investigate the molecular pathological mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease（AD）through transcriptome analysis using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism，aiming to provide an in vivo experimental platform for oral-neural disease research.
Methods
Transcriptome sequencing was performed on wild-type N2 and AD model worms（CL2355）expressing pan-neuronal human Aβ1-42 using Illumina HiSeq platform.Differential expression analysis，gene ontology（GO）enrichment analysis，Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes（KEGG）pathway analysis，and gene set enrich analysis（GSEA）were conducted to systematically detect changes in gene expression.
Results
Compared to wild-type，1 899 upregulated and 2 018 downregulated genes were identified in the AD model. GO analysis revealed significant enrichment of upregulated genes in neurite guidance and cell differentiation，while downregulated genes were enriched in mRNA splicing and DNA repair. KEGG analysis showed significant upregulation of drug and xenobiotic metabolism pathways，and downregulation of RNA surveillance and endocytosis pathways.GSEA revealed significant downregulation of the apoptosis pathway［normalized enrichment score（NES）=-1.775，P = 0.008 1］with decreased expression of key genes including ced-9 and ced-3.
Conclusions
This study revealed systematic changes in gene expression in the C.elegans AD model，providing an ideal experimental model for investigating the role of oral infection factors in AD pathogenesis.
To identify shared hub genes between periodontitis（PD）and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis （NASH） using bioinformatics methods，and to explore potential common pathogenic mechanisms of the two diseases.
Methods
Gene expression datasets related to the diseases were obtained from the gene expression omnibus（GEO）database between 2008 and 2016.GSE16134 and GSE89632 were selected as training datasets for PD and NASH，respectively. Differentially expressed genes（DEGs）were identified，and overlapping DEGs were extracted by intersecting the two datasets.Gene ontology（GO）and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes（KEGG）enrichment analyses were performed on the overlapping DEGs.Hub genes were further screened through weighted gene co-expression network analysis（WGCNA）and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator（LASSO）regression analysis. Subsequently，the expression levels of hub genes were validated in independent datasets（PD：GSE10334；NASH：GSE33814），and their diagnostic performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic（ROC）curve analysis.
Results
A total of 36 overlapping DEGs were identified from GSE16134 and GSE89632，including 19 upregulated and 17 downregulated genes. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that these genes were associated with cell adhesion，cytokine and chemokine signaling pathway. By intersecting overlapping DEGs with module genes from WGCNA，eight candidate hub genes were identified：ANXA6，CD48，GIMAP2，GPR34，HAL，ITGAL，PTPRCAP，SLC19A2. Among them，ANXA6，CD48，GIMAP2，GPR34，ITGAL and PTPRCAP were significantly upregulated in disease groups（P＜0.05），while HAL and SLC19A2 were significantly downregulated（P＜0.05）. Further LASSO regression analysis identified four potential shared hub genes（ANXA6，GIMAP2，HAL and SLC19A2）. Among these genes，ANXA6，GIMAP2 and SLC19A2 consistently exhibited stable differential expression and considerable diagnostic performance（AUC＞0.7）across multiple datasets，and were ultimately identified as shared hub genes between PD and NASH.
Conclusions
This study identified three potential shared hub genes between PD and NASH based on bioinformatics analyses，providing novel insights into their common pathogenic mechanisms and offering potential targets for future therapeutic strategies.
To explore the mechanism of liquefactive degeneration of basal epithelial cells in discoid lupus erythematosus（DLE）and to evaluate the impact of Th1-type cytokines interleukin-2（IL-2），interferon-γ（IFN-γ），tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α）closely related to DLE in the process of liquefactive degeneration.
Methods
Tissue specimens from 10 patients with DLE who visited the Department of Oral Mucosal Diseases，Stomatological Hospital of Air Force Medical University from May 2023 to October 2024 were collected. The expression changes of E-cadherin，vimentin，CK19，β1 integrin，and nestin in the DLE epithelium were detected by immunohistochemistry and compared with those in 5 normal oral mucosa tissues.Human oral mucosal epithelial cells were treated with 20 ng/mL IL-2，IFN-γ，and TNF-α in vitro. The expression of E-cadherin and vimentin mRNA was detected by realtime fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction（RT-PCR），and the expression of E-cadherin and vimentin proteins in the treated epithelial cells was detected by cell immunofluorescence. The mean optical density（MOD）values of the DLE group and the normal control group were measured by Image J in immunohistochemical analysis. Independent sample t-test or Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare the MOD values between the two groups.One-Way ANOVA was used for repeated measurement data，and Tukey's method or Games-Howell method was used for pairwise comparisons within groups.
Results
Immunohistochemical staining showed that the MOD value of E-cadherin in the DLE group（0.156 ±0.006）was statistically lower than that in the normal control group（0.321±0.025；t=19.034，P=0.004）.The MOD value of vimentin in the DLE group was significantly higher than that in the normal control group（t=-49.875，P＜0.001）. The MOD value of nestin in the DLE group was higher than that in the normal control group（t=-17.79，P＜0.001）. The DLE group tended to express more CK19 and β1 integrin，but the difference was not statistically significant compared with the normal control group（P＞0.05）.RT-PCR results showed that the E-cadherin mRNA levels in the IL-2，IFN-γ，and TNF-α treatment groups were all decreased compared with the control group，and the differences in the IL-2 and TNF-α groups were statistically significant（qIL-2group=12.350，PIL-2group＜0.001；qTNF-αgroup=6.416，PTNF-αgroup=0.008）. Further pairwise comparisons revealed that the E-cadherin mRNA expression in the IL-2 group was lower than that in the IFN-γ and TNF-α groups，and the differences were statistically significant（qIL-2groupvs.IFN-γgroup=9.576，PIL-2groupvs.IFN-γgroup＜0.001；qIL-2groupvs.TNF-αgroup=5.930，PIL-2groupvs.TNF-αgroup=0.013）.The vimentin mRNA levels in each treatment group showed an upward trend，especially in the IL-2 group. Compared with the control group，the difference was statistically significant（qIL-2group=115.6，PIL-2group＜0.001），and the expression level of vimentin mRNA in the IL-2 group was higher than that in the IFN-γ and TNF-α groups，with statistically significant differences（qIL-2groupvs.IFN-γgroup=115.6，PIL-2groupvs.IFN-γgroup＜0.001；qIL-2groupvs.TNF-αgroup=115.5，PIL-2groupvs.TNF-αgroup＜0.001）. The results of cell immunofluorescence detection showed that the expression levels of E-cadherin protein in oral mucosal epithelial cells in the IL-2，IFN-γ，and TNF-α treatment groups decreased，and the differences compared with the control group were statistically significant（qIL-2group=16.67，PIL-2group＜0.001；qIFN-γgroup=16.65，PIFN-γgroup＜0.001；qTNF-αgroup=16.63，PTNF-αgroup＜0.001）. The expression levels of vimentin protein in oral mucosal epithelial cells in the three treatment groups increased，and the differences compared with the control group were statistically significant（qIL-2group=28.06，PIL-2group＜0.001；qIFN-γgroup=21.24，PIFN-γgroup＜0.001；qTNF-αgroup=19.72，PTNF-αgroup＜0.001），and the expression level of vimentin protein in the IL-2 group was higher than that in the IFN-γ and TNF-α groups，with statistically significant differences（qIFN-γgroup=8.340，PIFN-γgroup=0.002；qTNF-αgroup=6.820，PTNF-αgroup=0.006）.
Conclusions
The liquefaction degeneration of epidermal basal cells in DLE manifested features resembling the epithelial-mesenchymal transition（EMT）phenomenon，and Th1-type cytokines such as IL-2，IFN-γ and TNF-α may be significant factors that triggered this process.
To examine the characteristics of nasalance among normal population and cleft palate patients with different velopharyngeal closure status.
Methods
The research enrolled 205 participants，including 27 people without cleft palate，42 patients with unoperated cleft palate and velopharyngeal incompetence（VPI），58 patients with postoperative velopharyngeal competence（VPC）and 78 patients with postoperative VPI.The standard Putonghua speech test material which consised of 84 Chinese vocabularies was used as speech material. Nasalance scores of words contained in the speech material were recorded using the Nasometer Ⅱ6450.
Results
The total nasalance scores exhibited a significant positive correlation with hypernasality ratings（ρ=0.778，P＜0.001）.Postoperative VPC patients demonstrated nasalance scores similar to those of normal individuals，with statistically significant differences observed in only four words：Ma1 ma（P＜0.001），Na2（P＜0.001），Mi4 feng1（P = 0.036）and Ni3 hao3（P=0.038）.Both preoperative and postoperative VPI patients presented significantly higher nasalance scores compared to the normal group.Specifically，comparisons between normal individuals and preoperative VPI patients revealed no significant differences for only four words：Ma1 ma（P=1.000），Na2（P=1.000），Ni3 hao3（P=1.000）and Niao3（P=1.000）. Comparisons between normal individuals and postoperative VPI patients showed no significant differences for six words：Na2（P=0.051），Jia1 ting2（P=0.136），Mi4 feng1（P=1.000），Ni3 hao3（P=1.000），He2 ma3（P=0.091），Xu1 yao4（P=0.182）and Niao3（P=1.000）.Words comprising vowel/i/could be used as a sensitive index to detect the velopharyngeal dysfunction and nasal consonants/m//n/ demonstrated little diagnostic value.
Conclusions
The nasalance scores collected by Nasometer could reflect the velopharyngeal closure status of cleft palate patients. The nasalance scores of patients with velopharyngeal incompetence were higher than those of normal speakers and patients with velopharyngeal competence.
Cervical external resorption occurs at the enamelo-cemental junction of teeth caused by various factors such as occlusal trauma，hypoxia，plaque and orthodontic forces. In the early stage，it is difficult to detect through clinical examination. It can be observed through imaging examinations such as cone beam computed tomography. This article reported a case of periapical periodontitis of the upper left first molar with cervical resorption of the distal buccal root. After timely root canal treatment，reparative imaging of both the periapical lesion and cervical resorption site was observed.
As a cutting-edge cancer treatment，boron neutron capture therapy（BNCT）has attracted attentions due to its excellent characteristics of cell-level damage. However，due to the tumor-targeting limitation of boron drugs and delivery accuracy of neutron beam，oral normal tissues are injured by radiation during BNCT of head and neck cancers，which affecting the completion of treatment and quality of patients'life. This article reviews the radiation characteristics of BNCT，as well as the damage of radiation to normal oral tissues during BNCT and its mechanisms，such as radiation-induced oral mucositis，vascular injury and salivary gland injury. Radiation protection agents，vascular repair treatments and traditional Chinese medicine treatments can be used as prevention or treatment strategies for normal tissue injury after BNCT. Future research should focus on the mechanism of normal tissue damage in BNCT and develop effective radiation protection agents for injury targets，so as to improve the efficacy and safety of BNCT and improve the prognosis and quality of life of patients.
The Er，Cr：YSGG laser demonstrates significant advantages in the treatment of dentin hypersensitivity.Through its thermal effect，this laser causes the denaturation of organic substances and the melting of inorganic substances within the dentinal tubules，thereby effectively sealing the dentinal tubules and rapidly relieving the symptom of hypersensitivity. At the same time，the treatment process is comfortable，and patients have a high degree of acceptance.This article systematically reviewed the advantages of Er，Cr：YSGG laser in the treatment of dentin hypersensitivity.Combined with the research findings in histology，it deeply expounded on the mechanism of dentinal tubule sealing by this treatment method and the morphological impact on the surrounding tissues. The aim was to provide a theoretical basis and practical guidance for the rational，safe，and efficient treatment of dentin hypersensitivity in clinical practice.
