Secret History: Return of the Black Death Channel 4, 7-8pm In 1348 the Black Death swept through London, killing people within days of the appearance of their first symptoms. Exactly how many died, and why, has long been a mystery. This Secret History documentary follows experts as they pick through the evidence and reveal why the plague killed on such a scale. And they ask, what might be coming next?

Medscape

eMedicine创建于1996年，由近万名临床医师作为作者或编辑参与此临床医学知识库的建设，其中编辑均是来自美国哈佛、耶鲁、斯坦福、芝加哥、德克萨斯、加州大学等各分校医学院的教授或副教授。

eMedicine

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) represent a class of small, non-coding RNAs with the main roles of regulating mRNA through its degradation and adjusting protein levels. In recent years, extraordinary progress has been made in terms of identifying the origin and exact functions of miRNA, focusing on their potential use in both the research and the clinical field. This review aims at improving the current understanding of these molecules and their applicability in the medical field. A thorough analysis of the literature consulting resources available in online databases such as NCBI, PubMed, Medline, ScienceDirect, and UpToDate was performed. There is promising evidence that in spite of the lack of standardized protocols regarding the use of miRNAs in current clinical practice, they constitute a reliable tool for future use. These molecules meet most of the required criteria for being an ideal biomarker, such as accessibility, high specificity, and sensitivity. Despite present limitations, miRNAs as biomarkers for various conditions remain an impressive research field. As current techniques evolve, we anticipate that miRNAs will become a routine approach in the development of personalized patient profiles, thus permitting more specific therapeutic interventions.

https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/9/2/276/pdf

miRNAs as Biomarkers in Disease: Latest Findings Regarding Their Role in Diagnosis and Prognosis

Oral submucous fibrosis: review on aetiology and pathogenesis.

s ?gnised types or, as we should prefer to call them, genera, ^Cles and varieties of tumours. In carrying out this project, \\ve Particularly when making out the series of indexes that e required, we soon made acquaintance with difficulties of enclature and of classification. These difficulties occur 0Ve?*t daily in the course of routine examinations and are th^00.1116 or evaded in varying fashion. It may be argued cl \\ln the present state of our knowledge, a satisfactory j^Slficati?n of tumours is not possible, or that it is easy to Co^ e Ossifications from an armchair for one who is not deeply p0j^erned in using them. But those remarks seem to miss the

Classification of Tumours.

Formaldehyde is the widely employed fixative that has been studied for decades. The chemistry of fixation has been studied widely since the early 20 th century. However, very few studies have been focused on the actual physics/chemistry aspect of process of this fixation. This article attempts to explain the chemistry of formaldehyde fixation and also to study the physical aspects involved in the fixation. The factors involved in the fixation process are discussed using well documented mathematical and physical formulae. The deeper understanding of these factors will enable pathologist to optimize the factors and use them in their favor.

Chemical and physical basics of routine formaldehyde fixation.

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the mucus membrane of the oral cavity. It is a T-cell mediated autoimmune disease in which the cytotoxic CD8+ T cells trigger apoptosis of the basal cells of the oral epithelium. Several antigen-specific and nonspecific inflammatory mechanisms have been put forward to explain the accumulation and homing of CD8+ T cells subepithelially and the subsequent keratinocyte apoptosis. A wide spectrum of treatment modalities is available, from topical corticosteroids to laser ablation of the lesion. In this review, we discuss the various concepts in the pathogenesis and current treatment modalities of OLP.

Oral lichen planus: An update on pathogenesis and treatment

BACKGROUND: Smoking, drinking and chewing tobacco product, common habits in India have been positively associated with oral lesions. No study has been conducted in this part of Tamilnadu regarding the prevalence of oral lesions in relation to habits. METHODS: A hospital based cross-sectional study was carried out at Ragas Dental College, Chennai. Already existing data of two thousand and seventeen consecutive patients from sub-urban areas of Chennai, who attended the outpatient department, at Ragas Dental College, for dental complaints during a period of three months in 2004, who underwent oral examination and interviewer based questionnaire was used. RESULTS: Oral soft tissue lesions were found in 4.1% of the study subjects. The prevalence of leukoplakia, OSF and oral lichen planus was 0.59%, 0.55%, and 0.15% respectively. The prevalence of smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages and chewing was 15.02%, 8.78% and 6.99% respectively. Smoking and chewing were significant predictors of leukoplakia in this population. DISCUSSION: The prevalence of leukoplakia, OSF and oral lichen planus in our study population is similar to those found in other populations. The prevalence of consumption of alcoholic beverages in our study population was higher when compared to the Indian National Sample Survey study. However the prevalence of smoking and chewing was found to be lower. Smokers were more likely to develop smoker's melanosis compared to other lesions. Among those who consumed alcoholic beverages alone, the prevalence of leukoplakia was higher compared to other lesions. OSF was the most prevalent lesion among those who chewed panmasala or gutkha or betel quid with or without tobacco.

Prevalence of oral lesions in relation to habits: Cross-sectional study in South India.

Background: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a pre-cancerous condition caused by the use of areca nut in various forms. There are very few published reports on areca nut use and OSF from Chennai, South India.

Methods:  A hospital-based case-control study on habits and OSF was performed in Chennai over a 3-year period. A total of 185 consecutive patients with OSF were matched with age- and sex-matched controls. History was recorded in a pre-determined format by qualified dental surgeons.

Results:  The male to female ratio of OSF cases was 9.9 : 1. All areca nut products were associated with OSF, with the risk being greatest for pan masala. The duration of the habit was more significant than the frequency of the chewing habit.

Conclusion:  The present study confirms the strong association between areca nut use and OSF and the increasing use of pan masala.

Oral submucous fibrosis: a case-control study in Chennai, South India.

Introduction: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a major health problem in India. The importance of oral lesions as clinical features of HIV infection and their gender specificity have been reported worldwide. However, there are very few reports on this aspect from the Indian subcontinent. Materials and Methods: The study population comprised 1000 consecutive HIV seropositive patients presenting to YRG CARE, a non-governmental organisation in Chennai, South India. The oral lesions were diagnosed based on clinical appearance using international criteria. Data were entered into a database and analysed using the SPSS package. Results: The male-to-female ratio was 3.4:1, and 95% of the patients had acquired infection via heterosexual contact. Majority of the patients (84%) were in the 21- to 40-year-old age groups. Pulmonary tuberculosis (12%) was the most common systemic finding. Oral lesions were seen in 86.6% of the patients. Gingivitis (72.3%) and periodontitis (33.2%) were the most common lesions followed by oral pigmentation (26.3%), oral candidiasis (23.8%), angular cheilitis (7.9%), oral ulcers (3.3%), oral hairy leukoplakia (2.1%), oral submucous fibrosis (0.9%) and leuko- plakia (1.5%). The prevalence of oral candidiasis, periodontitis and oral hairy leukoplakia was higher in males than in females. Conclusions: Oral lesions occur commonly in HIV infection. A comprehensive oral examination plays an important role not only in the management of the patients, but also in assessing the immune status and in their follow-up. Ann Acad Med Singapore 2004; 33(Suppl):37S-42S

/pdf/oral-lesions-and-conditions-associated-with-human-50y4a17s6s.pdf

Kannan Ranganathan

Papers

Chemical and physical basics of routine formaldehyde fixation.

Oral lichen planus: An update on pathogenesis and treatment

Prevalence of oral lesions in relation to habits: Cross-sectional study in South India.

Oral submucous fibrosis: a case-control study in Chennai, South India.

Oral lesions and conditions associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection in 300 south Indian patients.