Patients affected by squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: A population particularly prone to developing severe forms of COVID‑19

Perri, Francesco; Crispo, Anna; Ionna, Francois; Muto, Paolo; Caponigro, Francesco; Longo, Francesco; Montagnese, Concetta; Franco, P.; Pavone, Ettore; Aversa, Corrado; Guida, Agostino; Bimonte, Sabrina; Ottaiano, Alessandro; Marzo, Massimiliano Di; Porciello, Giuseppe; Amore, Alfonso; Celentano, Egidio; Scarpati, Giuseppina Della Vittoria; Cascella, Marcos

doi:10.3892/etm.2021.10733

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 53 publications

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“…The SARS-CoV-2 virus itself has the ability to modify the expression of ACE2 in the oral mucosa, as evidenced by the downregulation of ACE2 mRNA found in buccal mucosa smear samples from COVID-19 patients. This has led to the (still very tentative) hypothesis that the cellular response to SARS-CoV-2 infection may be supported by defensive characteristics in order to protect the cells from the viral overload [6,15,82,146,147]. Understanding the precise mechanisms by which cytokines influence COVID-19 infection in the presence of periodontal bacteria and the effect of the infection itself on oral health is still under active study.…”

Section: Sars-cov-2 Infection Of Oc Is Controlled By Different Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19 on Oral Health: A New Bilateral Connection for the Pandemic

Bellocchio,

Dipalma,

Inchingolo

et al. 2023

Biomedicines

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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and transmission are generally known to be produced by respiratory droplets and aerosols from the oral cavity (O.C.) of infected subjects, as stated by the World Health Organization. Saliva also retains the viral particles and aids in the spread of COVID-19. Angiotensin-converting enzyme Type 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) are two of the numerous factors that promote SARS-CoV-2 infection, expressed by O.C. structures, various mucosa types, and the epithelia of salivary glands. A systemic SARS-CoV-2 infection might result from viral replication in O.C. cells. On the other hand, cellular damage of different subtypes in the O.C. might be associated with various clinical signs and symptoms. Factors interfering with SARS-CoV-2 infection potential might represent fertile ground for possible local pharmacotherapeutic interventions, which may confine SARS-CoV-2 virus entry and transmission in the O.C., finally representing a way to reduce COVID-19 incidence and severity.

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Section: Sars-cov-2 Infection Of Oc Is Controlled By Different Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19 on Oral Health: A New Bilateral Connection for the Pandemic

Bellocchio,

Dipalma,

Inchingolo

et al. 2023

Biomedicines

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Effects of Viral Infections Like COVID-19 on Head and Neck Cancers: The Role of Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Counts and Ratios

Sarkar,

Singhavi,

Das

et al. 2024

Cureus

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Background: Over the last three years, the coronavirus disease 2019 , caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has had a global impact. COVID-19 has led to diagnostic and treatment delays in head and neck squamous cell cancers (HNSCCs). Both cancer and COVID-19 trigger systemic inflammatory responses that can result in cytokine storms, creating a favorable tumor microenvironment that supports tumor growth. Various studies have shown a positive association between increasing neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and disease severity in COVID-19. Studies have also shown that high NLR is associated with poor survival outcomes in cancer patients. Our aim is to investigate whether an increased NLR is linked to rapid tumor progression in patients with HNSCC who have also been affected by infections like COVID-19 in the pre-operative period.Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of patients of HNSCC who were scheduled for surgery and had contracted COVID-19 in their pre-operative period between April 2021 and May 2021. The study analyzed pre-and post-COVID NLR in relation to disease progression in HNSCC. Statistical analysis was presented as an interquartile range and numbered with the percentage. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, IBM Corp., Version 26.0, Armonk, NY) was utilized for the analysis.Results: We evaluated 200 operable cases of which 38/200 (20%) patients with HNSCC were COVID-19 positive. Out of those COVID-19-positive patients, 27/38 (71%) patients got operated. Around, 11/38 (28.9%) patients were inoperable. And, 14/27 (53.8%) operated patients also had a change in treatment plan. The mean duration from the joint clinic treatment plan to the date of surgery was 25.18 days. Patients who had contracted COVID-19 and had a change in their treatment plan due to disease progression exhibited mean NLR values of 3.84 (pre-COVID) and 11.11 (post-COVID), with respective medians of 3.04 and 10.50. These differences showed a statistically significant p-value of 0.000. In contrast, patients who had no change in treatment plan displayed mean NLR values of 4.51 (pre-COVID) and 9.70 (post-COVID), with respective medians of 3.47 and 3.42, resulting in with a non-significant p-value of 0.082. Conclusion: This is a one-of-its-kind study that has evaluated the role of elevated NLR in patients with a COVID-19 virus infection and its relationship with the clinical progression of the disease. The findings suggest that elevated NLR in patients with HNSCC, along with concurrent SARS-CoV2 infection, may contribute to accelerated disease progression with an increase in tumor burden and nodal metastasis.

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Patients affected by squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: A population particularly prone to developing severe forms of COVID‑19

Cited by 2 publications

References 53 publications

COVID-19 on Oral Health: A New Bilateral Connection for the Pandemic

COVID-19 on Oral Health: A New Bilateral Connection for the Pandemic

Effects of Viral Infections Like COVID-19 on Head and Neck Cancers: The Role of Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Counts and Ratios

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