Abstract Objectives To evaluate the number of AgNORs per nucleus and the expression of Ki-67 at the tumor invasion front (TIF) in relation to clinical parameters (TNM), TIF classification and the prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinomas in an Uruguayan population. Material and Methods This study was conducted through a retrospective survey from 2000 to 2010 at the National Institute of Cancer Montevideo, Uruguay and included 40 patients. The samples were obtained from the resection of the tumor and the TIF was defined according with Bryne, et al.5 (1992). Expression of Ki-67 was assessed by the percentage of positive tumor cells and the AgNOR was recorded as the mean AgNOR (mAgNOR) and the percentage of AgNOR per nucleus (pAgNOR). All analyzes were performed by a blinded and calibrated observer. Results No statistically significant association was observed between immunostaining of Ki-67 and AgNOR with the different types of TIF, regional metastasis and patients prognosis, however it was observed an increase in Ki-67 expression associated with worse patient’s clinical staging, although not statistically significant. Conclusions Our results suggest that proliferation markers as AgNOR and Ki-67 are not prognostic markers at the tumor invasive front of carcinoma of oral squamous cell.

Abstract To assess the immunocytochemical and immunohistochemical correlation of adhesion (E-cadherin) and cell differentiation (involucrin) molecules in oral leukoplakia and oral squamous cell carcinoma. Cytological samples and biopsies were obtained from male and female patients aged over 30 years with oral leukoplakia (n = 30) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (n = 22). Cell scrapings and the biopsy were performed at the site of the lesion and histological slides were prepared for the immunocytochemical analysis of exfoliated oral mucosal cells and for the immunohistochemical analysis of biopsy tissues using E-cadherin and involucrin. Spearman’s correlation and kappa coefficients were used to assess the correlation and level of agreement between the techniques. Immunostaining for E-cadherin and involucrin by both techniques was similar in the superficial layers of the histological sections compared with cell scrapings. However, there was no statistical correlation and agreement regarding the immunocytochemical and immunohistochemical expression of E-cadherin and involucrin in oral leukoplakia (R = 0.01, p = 0.958) (Kappa = 0.017, p = 0.92) or in oral squamous cell carcinoma (R = 0.26, p = 0.206) (Kappa = 0.36, p = 0.07). The immunoexpression of E-cadherin and involucrin in tissues is consistent with the expression patterns observed in exfoliated oral mucosal cells, despite the lack of a statistically significant correlation. There is an association of the histopathological characteristics of leukoplakia with the expression E-cadherin and of the microscopic aspects of oral squamous cell carcinoma with immunohistochemical expression of involucrin.

RESUMO Pesquisa exploratória documental de abordagem qualitativa cujo objetivo foi compreender como está se constituindo a formação do estudante de Odontologia em relação ao cuidado em saúde, a partir de uma atividade de ensino interdisciplinar ocorrida no segundo ano da formação do cirurgião-dentista. Foi realizado um levantamento retrospectivo do material produzido pelos estudantes do terceiro semestre do curso de Odontologia da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, no Seminário de Integração IV, de 2006 a 2013. O corpus de análise foi formado por relatos de acompanhamento de pacientes e narrativas. Foram analisados 95 relatos de casos de pacientes e 67 narrativas pelo método da análise temática de conteúdo de Bardin. A análise do material resultou em 17 unidades de significação/categorias emergentes. A inclusão das narrativas no Seminário de Integração como estratégia metodológica de ensino na saúde trouxe a qualificação dos relatos e aproximou os estudantes do ser humano a ser cuidado, passando por sua queixa principal, história de vida e subjetividades. Currículos inovadores e integrados na área da saúde devem ser acompanhados permanentemente com base na experiência concreta nesta e em outras instituições de educação superior do País.

ABSTRACT This documentary exploratory research project with a qualitative approach aimed to understand how dental students are being trained in terms of healthcare, by means of an interdisciplinary teaching activity held in the second year of dental school. A retrospective survey was performed from the material produced by the students during the third semester of the dentistry course at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, by means of the IV Integration Seminar held in 2006-2013. The analysis corpus consisted of reports featuring patient monitoring and narratives. We analyzed 95 patient case reports and 67 narratives using the thematic analysis method on Bardin content. Analysis of the material resulted in 17 meaning units/emerging categories. The inclusion of narratives in the Integration Seminar as a methodological strategy for health education facilitated the qualification of reports and brought students closer to the human beings under care, by means of exposing the students to the patients’ chief complaint, life history and subjective factors. The specific experiences of this study as well as those of other Brazilian educational institutions suggest that innovative and integrated curricula in the healthcare field must be implemented on a permanent basis.