Nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate, gastric cancer and tooth agenesis

Global Trends and Hotspots in Research on Tooth Agenesis: A 20-Year Bibliometric Analysis

Tooth agenesis, one of the most common developmental defects in humans, not only impairs oral function but can also lead to craniofacial deformities. Bibliometric analysis can reveal significant shifts in research and publishing trends within specific fields. This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the research hotspots in tooth agenesis and predict future trends through bibliometric analysis. We searched for English-language publications related to tooth agenesis from 2001 to 2021 on the Web of Science. The publications were limited to original and review articles, and bibliometric parameters such as publication year, country, institution, author, journal, citations, and keywords were extracted and analyzed using VOSviewer, Microsoft Excel 2010, and CiteSpace. A total of 2,287 papers were ultimately selected. The results show that the USA holds a leading position in the field of tooth agenesis research. A total of 9,803 authors participated in these studies, with Alexandre R Vieira from the USA being the most prolific and most cited author. This study indicates that multidisciplinary management has become the consensus first choice for treating dental agenesis. Gene mutations related to tooth agenesis continue to be a research hotspot attracting scholarly attention. Exploring the relationship between tooth agenesis and cancer may be a future research direction. These findings contribute to potential collaborations among experts in future research on the genetic causes of tooth agenesis and tumor development and to assist the scientific community by identifying research gaps in this field.

Relationship between non-syndromic oral clefts and cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To summarize the clinical evidence on the relationship between cancer and non-syndromic oral cleft (NSOC).

METHODS

The review was reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist, and a literature search was conducted in six databases and gray literature. Studies published in any language mentioning cancer in patients with NSOC and their relatives and NSOC in patients with cancer and their relatives were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute appraisal tool. The certainty of the evidence was evaluated using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) assessment. After a 2-step selection process, 33 studies were included: 17 case-control studies, 13 cross-sectional studies, and 3 case reports.

RESULTS

The study evaluated 206,096 patients from 20 countries. Of these, 0.35% of patients with cancer (95% CI: 0.0% to 1.1%; I² = 86%), 3.0% of relatives of patients with cancer (95% CI: 1.19% to 5.46%; I² = 55%), and 0.26% of controls (95% CI: 0.0% to 0.83%; I² = 87%) had NSOC. Among the studies that examined the prevalence of cancer, 2.4% (95% CI: 0.0% to 19.3%; I² = 99%) of patients with NSOC, 15.4% of relatives of patients with NSOC (95% CI: 2.0% to 37.6%; I² = 99%), and 5.3% of controls (95% CI: 0.0% to 22.8%; I² = 99%) had cancer. Although no relationship was observed between the risk of cancer in patients with NSOC and the risk of NSOC in patients with cancer, there was an association for an increased risk of cancer in relatives of patients with NSOC (OR: 9.96, 95% CI: 1.55 to 63.99; P = 0.01) and a significant association for the NSOC risk in relatives of patients with leukemia (OR: 9.31; 95% CI: 1.13 to 76.67; P = 0.03).

CONCLUSION

Our findings demonstrate an increased risk of cancer in relatives of patients with NSOC and that relatives of patients with leukemia were more frequently affected by NSOC. Together, these findings can help guide cancer screening in patients with NSOC and their relatives and shed light on the risk of NSOC in families with a history of cancer.

Nonsyndromic Oral Cleft in First-Degree Relatives of Patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Multiple studies have demonstrated an association between cancer and nonsyndromic oral clefts in different populations. In this study, we assessed the occurrence of nonsyndromic oral clefts in families of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL, n = 50) and controls (n = 125). The parents of the patients answered a questionnaire with basic demographic information and family history of nonsyndromic oral clefts in first-degree relatives. Statistical analysis was carried out using Fisher’s exact test. In the ALL group, 22 (44%) were male and 28 (56%) were female, and the average age was 13.2 ± 12.2 years. In the control group, 64 (51.2%) were male and 65 were female and the average age was 11.3 ± 10.3 years. Two out of 50 patients (4%) with acute lymphoblastic leukemia had a positive history of nonsyndromic oral clefts, whereas there were no reported occurrences of nonsyndromic oral clefts in the control group (OR: 12.94, 95% CI: 0.61–274.6, p = 0.08). Despite the limited population, the frequency of nonsyndromic oral clefts was increased in the first-degree relatives of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Studies with larger samples and molecular analyses are needed to better understand the possible etiological relationship between cancer and nonsyndromic oral clefts.

Variations in AXIN2 predict risk and prognosis of colorectal cancer

Objective

Colorectal cancer (CRC) and hypodontia are frequent and different diseases with common genes are involved in their etiology. The objective of this study was to identify the association between AXIN2 rs2240308 with hypodontia and CRC.

Patients and methods

This study consisted of 50 individuals with hypodontia, 50 individuals with CRC, and 155 healthy individuals from Colombia. SNP genotyping assays of rs2240308 were performed and family history of cancer in individuals with hypodontia was documented. In silico analysis was implemented to define the genomic profile of the AXIN2 gene associated with CRC. Multivariate analysis, chi square, odd ratio tests, and R software were used for statistical analysis.

Results

AXIN2 rs2240308 showed association with CRC (OR = 5.4 CI: 2.7–10.4; p < 0.001) and with other familial cancer in individuals with hypodontia (p < 0.005 OR = 1.75, 95% CI: 1.22–6.91). In silico analysis showed that variations in AXIN2 found in CRC patients, were more frequently in earlier stages of tumor and patients who carry variations in the AXIN2 gene have a worse prognosis (p < 0.05). The association between AXIN2 rs2240308 with hypodontia was not significant.

Conclusions

These results suggest that AXIN2 rs2240308 polymorphism is associated with CRC and AXIN2 could be a risk marker for predisposition and prognosis of CRC.