Hostname: page-component-89b8bd64d-dvtzq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-05-06T15:01:55.069Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Introducing bioinformatics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 October 2014

Robin Youngs  and
Edward Fisher
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

An abstract is not available for this content. As you have access to this content, full HTML content is provided on this page. A PDF of this content is also available in through the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Information

Type
Editorial
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 128 , Issue 10 , October 2014 , pp. 847
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2014 

In a very recent issue, our editorial highlighted the potential for genetic research on diseases of the head and neck.Reference Youngs and Fisher1 In the current issue, this theme is extended, with an important commissioned review article from Ow and colleagues, in which they detail concepts in DNA sequencing and gene expression analysis.Reference Ow, Upadhyay, Belbin, Prystowsky, Ostrer and Smith2 The review is published in two parts and the second part will appear in the November issue of The Journal of Laryngology & Otology. Bioinformatics is an immense field, and these articles summarise the utility of these exciting developments as they apply to head and neck diseases. These articles augment those already published in this journal, to provide readers with up-to-date and stimulating information in this rapidly advancing field.Reference Warner, Birchall and Lowdell3, Reference Gunawardena, Fitzgerald, Morley, Hussey, Woods and Carney4

Genetic research is already feeding into development in the administration of chemotherapeutic agents for head and neck cancer. Bussu and colleagues describe the potentially synergistic effect of cetuximab (an epidermal growth factor receptor specific inhibitor), used in combination with cisplatin, on the proliferation and apoptosis of Hep-2 laryngeal cancer cells in vitro.Reference Bussu, Pozzoli, Giglia, Rizzo, Limongelli and De Corso5

Two articles in this issue address thyroid malignancy. Varshney and colleagues investigate the finding of lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma, and conclude that for isolated papillary microcarcinoma, thyroid capsule invasion is the only characteristic to correlate with lymph node metastasis.Reference Varshney, Pakdaman, Sands, Hier, Rochon and Black6 The importance of the thyroid capsule and its influence in disease has been recognised previously.Reference Tan, Du, Xiao, Guo, Wu and Chen7 The second ‘thyroid’ article in this issue describes the use of ultrasonography in staging thyroid nodules; the article introduces a new ultrasound reporting system that can be highly predictive of eventual histopathology.Reference Gray, O'Neill and McGarry8

Finally, it is good to question some of the well-established techniques in head and neck surgery. One such technique is the use of two fingerbreadths to plan the incision in submandibular gland surgery in order to avoid injury to the marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve. One might feel that this kind of measure would be inaccurate and hence potentially dangerous. It is hence reassuring to discover, based on the findings of cadaveric studies, that the technique seems to be anatomically sound!Reference Smyth, Jackson, Smith and Adair9

References

1Youngs, R, Fisher, E. The genome and its role in ENT. J Laryngol Otol 2014;128:659CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2Ow, TJ, Upadhyay, K, Belbin, TJ, Prystowsky, MB, Ostrer, H, Smith, RV. Bioinformatics in otolaryngology research. Part one: concepts in DNA sequencing and gene expression analysis. J Laryngol Otol 2014;128:848–58Google Scholar
3Warner, E, Birchall, M, Lowdell, MW. Tissue banking in ENT: challenges and methods. J Laryngol Otol 2013;127:630–7CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4Gunawardena, I, Fitzgerald, J, Morley, A, Hussey, DJ, Woods, CM, Carney, AS. Micro-ribonucleic acids in head and neck cancer: an introduction. J Laryngol Otol 2013;127(suppl 2):S2–7CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5Bussu, F, Pozzoli, G, Giglia, V, Rizzo, D, Limongelli, A, De Corso, E et al. Effects of the administration of epidermal growth factor receptor specific inhibitor cetuximab, alone and in combination with cisplatin, on proliferation and apoptosis of Hep-2 laryngeal cancer cells. J Laryngol Otol 2014;128:902–8CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6Varshney, R, Pakdaman, MN, Sands, N, Hier, MP, Rochon, L, Black, MJ et al. Lymph node metastasis in thyroid papillary microcarcinoma: a study of 170 patients. J Laryngol Otol 2014;128:922–5CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7Tan, Y-H, Du, G-N, Xiao, Y-G, Guo, S-Q, Wu, T, Chen, P-Z et al. The false thyroid capsule: new findings. J Laryngol Otol 2013;127:897–901CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8Gray, SL, O'Neill, G, McGarry, G. The predictive value of structured ultrasonographic staging for thyroid nodules. J Laryngol Otol 2014;128:914–21CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9Smyth, C, Jackson, C, Smith, C, Adair, R. Should we use fingerbreadth measurements in submandibular gland surgery? A critical appraisal of the technique. J Laryngol Otol 2014;128:932–4CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed