title: Mast Cells: Key Players in the Shadow in Oral Inflammation and in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity.
abstract: Although mast cells (MCs) have been discovered over 130 years ago, their function was almost exclusively linked to allergic affections. At the time being, it is well known that MCs possess a great variety of roles, in both physiologic and pathologic conditions. In the oral tissues, MCs release different proinflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), that promote leukocyte infiltration in various inflammatory states of the oral cavity. These cells play a key role in the inflammatory process and, as a consequence, their number changes in different pathologic conditions of the oral cavity, like gingivitis, periodontitis, and so on. MCs also represent a rich source of proteases, especially of mast cell tryptase and chymase, which directly degrade the extracellular matrix through their proteolytic activity and thus indirectly stimulate angiogenesis and facilitate invasion and metastasis. It may be stated that mast cells could have an impact on primary tumor development, progression, and metastases in oral squamous cell carcinoma. By understanding the role of mast cells in the pathogenesis of different inflammatory and tumor diseases of the oral cavity, these cells may become therapeutic targets that could possibly improve the prognosis and survival of these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microscopic Morphology/Histology, Angiogenesis Research Center Timisoara, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania.
authors.forename: Pusa Nela
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Gaje
authors.affiliation: Department of Microscopic Morphology/Histology, Angiogenesis Research Center Timisoara, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania.
authors.forename: Raluca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Amalia Ceausu
authors.affiliation: Department of Microscopic Morphology/Histology, Angiogenesis Research Center Timisoara, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jitariu
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania.
authors.forename: Stefan Ioan
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9154-9511
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Stratul
authors.affiliation: Department of Technology of Materials and Devices in Dental Medicine, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania.
authors.forename: Laura-Cristina
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6375-4705
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Rusu
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Dental Medicine, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania.
authors.forename: Ramona Amina
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Popovici
authors.affiliation: Department of Microscopic Morphology/Histology, Angiogenesis Research Center Timisoara, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania.
authors.forename: Marius
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raica
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000473:pathology*; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D009055:Mouth / Q000473:pathology*; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D018307:Neoplasms, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology*