OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the existing scientific literature in providing a comprehensive, quantitative analysis on the prognostic ability of Cancer Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs) in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) a novel meta-analysis.
METHODS: Review was performed in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines and registered in PROSPERO - CRD CRD42023467899. Electronic databases were searched for studies having data on effect of CAFs on overall survival rate and disease prognosis in patients with OSCC, oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) compared to normal healthy controls. Quality assessment of included was evaluated through Newcastle Ottawa scale (NOS) for included studies through its domains. The hazard ratio (HR) and risk ratio (RR) was used as summary statistic measure with random effect model and p value <0.05 as statistically significant.
RESULTS: Twenty studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were included in qualitative synthesis and eighteen studies for meta -analysis. Included studies had moderate to low risk of bias. It was observed through the pooled estimate that overall survival rate - (HR) =2.30 (1.71 - 3.10) was lesser in group with high CAFs compared to low CAFs while pooled estimate through RR =1.53 (0.73 - 3.19) and RR = 5.72 (2.40 - 13.59) signified that overall survival rate was lower n OSCC patients with high CAF compared to patients with OED and healthy controls. Publication bias through the funnel plot showed asymmetric distribution with presence of systematic heterogeneity indicating presence of publication bias.
CONCLUSIONS: Abundance of CAFs in tumor stroma of OSCC patients is associated with overall poor survival rate and poor disease prognosis. CAFs acts as a good prognostic and therapeutic marker in disease progression and advancements and should be assessed early to reduce patient\'s mortality and morbidity.

Myofibroblastic sarcoma is a malignancy in which myofibroblasts are the main component, with a very low incidence. In this study, we report a case of low-grade myofibroblastic sarcoma (LGMS) in the breast. After the diagnosis of LGMS, the patient received a mastectomy. The patient showed no relapse or progression during the follow-up time of 3 months following the operation. LGMS in the breast is extremely rare, and the limited experience with its diagnosis and treatment brings obstacles to doctors. Therefore, this report summarizes the preoperative diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of breast LGMS through a literature review.

Fibrosis-related diseases (FRD) include conditions like myocardial fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis, hepatic fibrosis, renal fibrosis, and others. The impact of fibrosis can be severe, causing organ dysfunction, reduced functionality, and even organ failure, leading to significant health issues. Currently, there is a lack of effective modern anti-fibrosis drugs in clinical practice. However, Chinese medicine has a certain beneficial effect on the treatment of such diseases. Angelica sinensis, with its considerable medicinal value, has garnered attention for its anti-fibrosis properties in recent investigations. In the past few years, there has been a growing number of experimental inquiries into the impact of angelica polysaccharide (ASP), angelica water extract, angelica injection, and angelica compound preparation on fibrosis-associated ailments, piquing the interest of researchers. This paper aims to consolidate recent advances in the study of Angelica sinensis for the treatment of fibrosis-related disorders, offering insights for prospective investigations. Literature retrieval included core electronic databases, including Baidu Literature, CNKI, Google-Scholar, PubMed, and Web of Science. The applied search utilized specified keywords to extract relevant information on the pharmacological and phytochemical attributes of plants. The investigation revealed that Angelica sinensis has the potential to impede the advancement of fibrotic diseases by modulating inflammation, oxidative stress, immune responses, and metabolism. ASP, Angelica sinensis extract, Angelica sinensis injection, and Angelica sinensis compound preparation were extensively examined and discussed. These constituents demonstrated significant anti-fibrosis activity. In essence, this review seeks to gain a profound understanding of the role of Angelica sinensis in treating fiber-related diseases. Organ fibrosis manifests in nearly all tissues and organs, posing a critical challenge to global public health due to its widespread occurrence, challenging early diagnosis, and unfavorable prognosis. Despite its prevalence, therapeutic options are limited, and their efficacy is constrained. Over the past few years, numerous studies have explored the protective effects of traditional Chinese medicine on organ fibrosis, with Angelica sinensis standing out as a multifunctional natural remedy. This paper provides a review of organ fibrosis pathogenesis and summarizes the recent two decades\' progress in treating fibrosis in various organs such as the liver, lung, kidney, and heart. The review highlights the modulation of relevant signaling pathways through multiple targets and channels by the effective components of Angelica sinensis, whether used as a single medicine or in compound prescriptions.

The incidence of urinary incontinence (UI) is approximately 10%-40% in women, affecting one to two hundred million women worldwide. Stress UI (SUI) is characterized by involuntary urination due to increased abdominal stress and urine leakage without bladder contraction. Surgical treatments include midurethral slings, bulking agents, and Burch colposuspension to restore urethral continence. Nevertheless, an optimal treatment for all types of incontinence has not yet been established. Stem-cell therapy has emerged as a novel treatment for many diseases. Stem cells can self-renew and can differentiate into other cell types. Adult stem cells are suitable for clinical applications because they can be easily obtained noninvasively or minimal invasively. Stem-cell therapy for SUI has been studied preclinically and clinically. Muscle-derived progenitors have been used to treat SUI by promoting the regeneration of rhabdomyosphincters. The human trial used transurethral injection of autologous muscle-derived stem cells to improve sphincter contractility and function. Other sources of stem cells have also been studied in SUI treatment, such as umbilical cord blood, amniotic fluid, bone marrow, urine, and adipose tissue. The success rate of stem-cell therapy for SUI ranges from 13% to 100%. This review aimed to summarize the current status of stem-cell treatments for SUI, with respect to clinical trials, cell types, transplantation routes, and dosage volume and frequency.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive lung disease of unknown etiology characterized by distorted distal lung architecture, inflammation, and fibrosis. Several lung cell types, including alveolar epithelial cells and fibroblasts, have been implicated in the development and progression of fibrosis. However, the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is still incompletely understood. The latest research has found that dysregulation of lipid metabolism plays an important role in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The changes in the synthesis and activity of fatty acids, cholesterol and other lipids seriously affect the regenerative function of alveolar epithelial cells and promote the transformation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts. Mitochondrial function is the key to regulating the metabolic needs of a variety of cells, including alveolar epithelial cells. Sirtuins located in mitochondria are essential to maintain mitochondrial function and cellular metabolic homeostasis. Sirtuins can maintain normal lipid metabolism by regulating respiratory enzyme activity, resisting oxidative stress, and protecting mitochondrial function. In this review, we aimed to discuss the difference between normal and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis lungs in terms of lipid metabolism. Additionally, we highlight recent breakthroughs on the effect of abnormal lipid metabolism on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, including the effects of sirtuins. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis has its high mortality and limited therapeutic options; therefore, we believe that this review will help to develop a new therapeutic direction from the aspect of lipid metabolism in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

UNASSIGNED: Myofibroblastic neoplasms comprise a spectrum of benign/malignant neoplasms. Only low-grade malignant forms have been reproducibly characterized as a diagnostic entity in the WHO classification. Low grade myofibroblastic sarcoma (LGMFS) confined to the nasal cavity is extremely rare.
UNASSIGNED: To review previously reported cases of nasal cavity LGMFS and provide a better insight regarding its clinical and immunohistochemical features.
UNASSIGNED: A review was performed involving two databases (PubMed and Google Scholar). Four cases of nasal cavity LGMFS were included. The lesion showed no gender or nasal-side predilection. All cases underwent wide excision. None showed distant metastasis while half recurred locally. Histologically, mitotic rate ranged from 1 to 3/10 high-power-field (HPF) and none exhibited spontaneous necrosis. Immuno-expression of calponin, smooth muscle actin (SMA) and vimentin were seen in either all four or three-fourth of cases. Diffuse S-100 expression was a unique finding in present case and not reported previously, that caused a diagnostic dilemma with schwannomas.
UNASSIGNED: LGMFS of nasal cavity is extremely rare. A wide resection is the primary treatment of choice. Adjuvant therapies (chemotherapy or radiotherapy) are of uncertain significance. Distant metastasis is rather unusual. Calponin, SMA and vimentin are highly sensitive immuno-markers. Diffuse S-100 expression is a possible finding. Mitotic rate < 6/10 HPF and absence of spontaneous necrosis are characteristic indolent features differentiating from high grade lesions. Trifecta of clinical and morphological features plus immunohistological phenotype, are sufficient for a definitive diagnosis. Electron microscopy is the most definitive confirmation test, however, should be reserved only for equivocal/atypical immunostaining pattern.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a rare type of tumor composed mainly of fibroblastic and myofibroblastic spindle cells, with an inflammatory infiltrate of lymphocytes, plasma cells, and eosinophils. IMT may arise from different organs and sites, but it is infrequent to arise from the urinary bladder and usually manifests as hematuria. We report a case of a 24-year-old pregnant woman who presented to our hospital with gross hematuria. After further workup, we concluded that she had this extremely rare tumor, which was resected eventually with a partial cystectomy. Although the diagnosis of these kinds of tumors is usually made by anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) using immunohistochemistry and detecting ALK gene translocation using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), they were negative in our study; hence, we relied mainly on the morphological features of the tumor for the diagnosis.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), consisting of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), requires a forensic age determination to ascertain their causal relationship with recent events, such as trauma or medical treatment. The main objective of this systematic review is to identify the current state-of-the-art immunohistochemical methods for age determination of fatal VTE. A literature search was performed through different databases, according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Within the study, we have selected only cases represented by deceased patients for DVT and/or PTE in which thromboembolic material was collected during an autoptic examination and then subjected to a histological and an immunohistochemical investigation. Studies based on animal models were not included. We assessed bias risk. A database-based search produced a total of 19 articles. After excluding duplicate items from the selection, 14 articles were reviewed. Ten articles were excluded because they did not meet the inclusion criteria. The results have pointed out 4 studies that were included in the present analysis for a total of 157 samples of DVT and 171 PTE samples. These were analyzed using traditional histological and immunohistochemical techniques. The results must be interpreted with a critical eye because of their heterogeneity in terms of time, geography, and study design. The present review highlights the importance of associating specific immunohistochemical markers with a histological analysis for the timing of DVT/PTE fatal events. Further future experiences will hopefully endorse actual knowledge on the subject to increase the accuracy in the assessment of thrombus-embolus age.

Organ fibrosis is a common pathological result of various chronic diseases with multiple causes. Fibrosis is characterized by the excessive deposition of extracellular matrix and eventually leads to the destruction of the tissue structure and impaired organ function. Prostaglandins are produced by arachidonic acid through cyclooxygenases and various prostaglandin-specific synthases. Prostaglandins bind to homologous receptors on adjacent tissue cells in an autocrine or paracrine manner and participate in the regulation of a series of physiological or pathological processes, including fibrosis. This review summarizes the properties, synthesis, and degradation of various prostaglandins, as well as the roles of these prostaglandins and their receptors in fibrosis in multiple models to reveal the clinical significance of prostaglandins and their receptors in the treatment of fibrosis.

Low-grade myofibroblastic sarcoma is a relatively recently-described neoplasm of the myofibroblasts having a predilection for the head and neck region. Ophthalmic involvement is extremely rare. Limbal involvement has not yet been documented in the literature. We describe one such case involving the limbus of a 48-year-old Asian male.