Multi-omics analysis identifies potential microbial and metabolite diagnostic biomarkers of bacterial vaginosis

BACKGROUND

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common clinical manifestation of a perturbed vaginal ecology associated with adverse sexual and reproductive health outcomes if left untreated. The existing diagnostic modalities are either cumbersome or require skilled expertise, warranting alternate tests. Application of machine-learning tools to heterogeneous and high-dimensional multi-omics datasets finds promising potential in data integration and may aid biomarker discovery.

OBJECTIVES

The present study aimed to evaluate the potential of the microbiome and metabolome-derived biomarkers in BV diagnosis. Interpretable machine-learning algorithms were used to evaluate the utility of an integrated-omics-derived classification model.

METHODS

Vaginal samples obtained from reproductive-age group women with (n = 40) and without BV (n = 40) were subjected to 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and LC-MS-based metabolomics. The vaginal microbiome and metabolome were characterized, and machine-learning analysis was performed to build a classification model using biomarkers with the highest diagnostic accuracy.

RESULTS

Microbiome-based diagnostic model exhibited a ROC-AUC (10-fold CV) of 0.84 ± 0.21 and accuracy of 0.79 ± 0.18, and important features were Aerococcus spp., Mycoplasma hominis, Sneathia spp., Lactobacillus spp., Prevotella spp., Gardnerella spp. and Fannyhessea vaginae. The metabolome-derived model displayed superior performance with a ROC-AUC of 0.97 ± 0.07 and an accuracy of 0.92 ± 0.08. Beta-leucine, methylimidazole acetaldehyde, dimethylethanolamine, L-arginine and beta cortol were among key predictive metabolites for BV. A predictive model combining both microbial and metabolite features exhibited a high ROC-AUC of 0.97 ± 0.07 and accuracy of 0.94 ± 0.08 with diagnostic performance only slightly superior to the metabolite-based model.

CONCLUSION

Application of machine-learning tools to multi-omics datasets aid biomarker discovery with high predictive performance. Metabolome-derived classification models were observed to have superior diagnostic performance in predicting BV than microbiome-based biomarkers.

Central Pleomorphic Adenoma of Mandible Mimicking Ameloblastoma - A Rare Case Report

Salivary gland neoplasms account for 3% of all head and neck tumours. Pleomorphic adenoma (PA) is the most common salivary gland tumour that mainly occurs in the parotid gland, followed by minor salivary glands of the oral cavity, however, the occurrence of PA inside the jaw bones is exceedingly rare and very few cases have been reported in the literature. Inside jaw bones these lesions tend to imitate large osteolytic lesions encompass a diagnostic challenge. An exhaustive review of the literature revealed only 10 cases of central pleomorphic adenoma. We present a rare case of primary PA that occurred inside the mandible and was provisionally diagnosed as ameloblastoma.

Extra adrenal paragnglioma of oral cavity: A rare case report

Paragangliomas are neuroendocrine tumors similar to pheochromocytomas but arising from extra adrenal site. It is a very rare tumor in an intraoral site, we found a single case of intraoral paraganglioma in a literature, and hence as per our best knowledge this is only the second case of paraganglioma presented in an intraoral location. We present here a case report of paraganglioma on the ventral surface of the tongue. A 37 years old lady presented with a large asymptomatic swelling on the ventral surface of the tongue from one year. The past medical history and familial history were non relevant to the swelling. Surgical excision was performed and histopathological examination of the specimen revealed the diagnosis of extra adrenal paraganglioma. The case is being presented here for its rarity in an intraoral location.

Psychological assessment and lived experiences of recovered COVID-19 patients who presented for convalescent plasma donation

Background

Increasingly, it has been seen that patients recovering from COVID-19 may face a second battle of coping with its mental health ramifications. These psychological issues can even be experienced by patients who were asymptomatic or had mild to moderate symptoms, potentially impacting their quality of life.

Methodology

This was a prospective observational study to analyse the psychological impact of COVID-19 in recovered patients who presented as prospective convalescent plasma (CP) donors. An interview for the psychological assessment of the prospective donors was carried out. Depression and anxiety in the participants were assessed by HAM-A, and HAM-D scores and Quality of Life were assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF scale.

Results

A total of 51 prospective donors were assessed, with a mean age of 34.37 (±9.08) years, with the majority being males (46). No clinically significant depression and anxiety were found on the basis of HAM-D and HAM-A scores. The worst affected quality of life parameter, based on the WHOQOL-BREF scale, was physical quality of life followed by environmental, psychological, and social relationships. Moreover, due to infection, social stigma was experienced by 49.02% of the donors, while 21.97% had anxiety related to convalescent plasma donation as a common livid experience.

Conclusion

Poor quality of life and social stigma during the recovery phase is prevalent in COVID-19 recovered patients, for which formulation of holistic support strategies are the need of the hour.

Primary Intra-Osseous Basaloid Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Mandible: Report of Rare Case with Proposed Diagnostic Criteria

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) is a distinctive variant of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) characterised by nests of basaloid cells. BSCC is an aggressive and rare tumor of head and neck region; and is relatively rare in oral cavity in comparison to SCC. Although, infrequent, but primary intra-osseous SCC (PIOSCC) has been reported in the jaws. There are separate diagnostic criteria for this lesion and a classification for primary intra-osseous carcinoma has been described. No evidence was found in the published literature about primary intra-osseous BSCC (PIOBSCC). We, herein, present a case of giant osteodestructive lesion of the posterior mandible which was diagnosed as PIOBSCC with a correlation of histopathological and immunohistochemical features. As per the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of PIOBSCC of the jaw. There is no diagnostic criterion of PIOBSCC in the literature owing to the extreme rarity of this tumor. A diagnostic criterion is proposed here to make the diagnosis of this tumor easier.

Dentinogenic Ghost Cell Tumor of Mandible in a Pediatric Patient with Dysplastic Changes

Dentinogenic ghost cell tumor (DGCT) is a very rare entity with controversies in its terminology and classification. It is the neoplastic solid counterpart of the calcifying odontogenic cyst (COC), which was first reported by Gorlin et al. in 1962. There are around 31 cases reported in the literature. The mean age of occurrence is 40.27 years, although very rarely is it associated with the pediatric age group. We are reporting a case of DGCT with dysplastic changes in an 11-year-old child which is very rare. The present case deals with the clinical, radiological, and histopathological aspects of the disease and the importance of an appropriate diagnosis. How to cite this article: Natani A, Borah S, Borah M, et al. Dentinogenic Ghost Cell Tumor of Mandible in a Pediatric Patient with Dysplastic Changes. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2020;13(S-1):S119-S121.

Report of a Rare Case of Epitheliod Hemangioendothelioma in Tongue

Epitheloid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is a rare vascular neoplasm of intermediate malignant potential. EHE commonly involves lungs, liver soft tissue, and bone. EHE is extremely rare in tongue and up to our best knowledge only nine cases of EHE of tongue reported in the literature. Clinicallyو EHE usually presents as an asymptomatic mass. Microscopically, EHE exhibits proliferation of epitheloid cells and spindle shaped endothelial cells. Epitheloid cells show cytoplasmic vacuoles with few cells containing RBCs. A 34-year-old male presented to our institution with the chief complain of swelling on the base of the tongue from eight months. Surgical excision was done. An extensive work up of immunohistochemistry was done using different markers including CD 31, CD 34, Ki 67, Factor VIII, and BCL2. Correlation of histopathology and immunohistochemistry confirmed the diagnosis of EHE. The follow up period of 2 years was uneventful.

Central Giant Cell Granuloma with Aneurysmal Bone Cyst in a 28-Year Male Patient: A Rare Concurrence

Central Giant Cell Granuloma (CGCG) is a benign tumor of jaw. As compared to males, females are more commonly affected. Mandible is the common site of occurrence. Aneurysmal bone cysts (ABCs) are cystic lesions which are expansile osteolytic blood-filled lesions. These are commonly seen in the mandible, and they also show gender-predilection towards females. Concurrence of both the lesions is rarely reported. The treatment of both CGCG and ABC depends upon the extent of the lesions as well as on their nature. Due to aggressive nature of the lesions, these usually cause disfigurement of the patients' face. Wide excision is the treatment modality for aggressive lesions to avoid recurrence. We present a case of 28-year male who showed CGCG along with ABC in the same lesion, a rare concurrence.

Immunohistochemical differentiation between spindle cell lipoma and neurofibroma of oral cavity using CD34 and SOX10

Spindle cell lipoma (SCL), also called as pleomorphic adenoma, is a rare variant of lipoma histopathologically characterized by an admixture of mature fat cells with spindle cells and occasionally mast cells with myxoid connective tissue stroma and thick bends of birefringent collagen. Although buccal mucosa is the most common location for oral lipomas, for SCL, it is an exceedingly rare location. We report a case of an asymptomatic swelling of buccal mucosa that simulated the features of neurofibroma on histopathological examination, and the final diagnosis of SCL was made on the basis of immunohistochemical features. This is the first documentation of oral SCL using SOX10 to achieve the final diagnosis.

Central Acinic Cell Carcinoma of the Mandible Simulating as Benign Odontogenic Lesion: A Case Report

Centrally occurring salivary gland tumors are rare. Because of a considerable overlap between the clinical and histopathological features, this group of tumors often produces a diagnostic difficulty to the clinicians and oral pathologists. Acinic cell carcinoma (ACC) is an unusual, low-grade, malignant salivary gland tumor that represents approximately 2% of the salivary gland tumors with almost 90% arising in the parotid gland. The rest involve the submandibular and the minor salivary gland. ACC of the jaw is extremely rare and, to our knowledge, only 8 cases have been reported in the English literature. Herein, a case of primary intraosseous ACC of the mandible in a 31-year-old woman is presented. The present case is unique, as the central ACC has never been reported in a patient in the third decade of life. The complete surgical removal of the tumor was carried out under general anesthesia along with the extraction of teeth #31, #32, #41, and #42. The follow-up period of 1-year was uneventful.

Giant Osteosarcoma of the Mandible

Osteosarcoma is a rare primary malignant bone tumor with considerable variations not only in clinical and histologic appearance, but also in the course and prognosis of the disease. It mainly occurs in the metaphyseal region of long bones. Jaw osteosarcomas are relatively rare as compared to those occurring in long bones and share similar histopathologic features, but biologically behave in a different manner. Early diagnosis and complete resection of the lesion are necessary for better prognosis. This report highlights an aggressive and fatal case of mandibular osteosarcoma in a 23-year male patient, which, if diagnosed earlier, would have added some valuable years to the patient's life.

Ortho Keratinized Odontogenic Cyst with Dentinoid Formation

Orthokeratinized odontogenic keratocyst (OOC) was first identified as orthokeratinized variant of odontogenic keratocyst in 1981 by Wright, due to its different histology and relatively low recurrence rate. Parakeratinized odontogenic cyst is now considered as keratocystic odontogenic tumor (KCOT) owing to its neoplastic nature. Although rare, calcification in the form of dystrophic calcification, dentinoid and cartilage has been reported in KCOT, but calcification in OOC is extremely rare and no case in English literature has been reported so far. Here, we report the first case of OOC with calcification located in the mandible of a 40-year female.

Basal Cell Adenoma of Hard Palate Involving Maxillary Alveolus

Minor salivary glands are relatively rare location for these tumors. Microscopically, they are composed of isomorphic cells, similar to basaloid cells with palisading arrangement and distinctive basement membrane like material. Herein, we report a case of BCApresenting as a soft tissue growth of left hard palate involving maxillary alveolus of a 41-year male.