Transglutaminases (TG) are widely expressed in variety of tissues and cells and catalyze protein crosslinking reactions. TG-1 and -3 play an important role in the construction of the cornified cell envelop of epithelial cells, and are recently thought to be oncogenes or tumor markers.
Here we report an altered expression of TGs during the development of murine experimental dysplasia of the tongue epithelium.
Analysis of the gene expression profiles and protein expression revealed a marked upregulation of TG-3 in the experimental dysplasia of wild-type mice. Although similar degree of epithelial dysplasia was induced in p53-deficient mice, TG-3 was not upregulated by the same carcinogen treatment.
These data suggested that TG-3 may play a role in the development of murine experimental epithelial dysplasia, and that its function may associate with the p53 tumor suppressor gene.

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Sialocochitis fibrinosa is a rare disease that is characterized by spasmodic swelling of the salivary gland such as parotid and/or submandibular gland due to obstruction by fibrinous embolus. We reported two cases of sialodochitis fivrinosa of major salivary gland. Majority of the patients with Sialodochitis fibrinosa tends to accompany allergic diseases, such as bronchial asthma or nasal allergy. However one of the presented case thought to be very rare because of the patient was accompanying Sjögren's syndrome.

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The patient was a 71-year-old man. Two small mass lesions were observed on the ventral surface of the tongue bilaterally. These mass lesions appeared round, 4mm in diameter and showed elastic soft to palpation. These lesions were surgically resected and histologically these were composed of lymphoid tissue with epithelium in the cyst wall. Histopathological diagnosis was lymphoepethelial cyst.

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White spongy nevus, a hereditary disease affecting the oral mucosa, was first reported by Cannon in 1935. With no subjective symptoms, it is considered to be an extremely rare condition. Recently, we encountered a case of this disease that had developed in the buccal mucosa, a report on which follows. The patient, a 28-year-old woman, came in for a detailed examination of whitish oral lesions, which was her major complaint. Clinical and histopathological examinations of the whitish lesions led to a diagnosis of isolated white spongy nevus of the oral cavity. No specific treatment was given. The patient is experiencing shrinking and expansion of the whitish lesions while she is under observation.

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This case involved reconstructive surgery for defects of the lip and angle of the mouth following a dog attack. A 62-year-old woman was referred to our hospital following severe dog bite injury of the upper lip and left angle of the mouth. The wound was washed and debrided, then the defect was repaired by local buccal mucosal advance flap. Rehabilitation was started 10 days after surgery. Postoperatively, satisfactory results were observed both functionally and esthetically.

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