Serum levels of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma: Making a case for chemoprevention.

OBJECTIVES: Serum level of vitamin D has been used as a predictor for cancer development. We intend to measure the baseline vitamin D level in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to compare same with non-cancer controls to determine any association. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with OSCC presenting to our clinics were included in this study. Their baseline serum vitamin D levels were measured prior to cancer treatment after obtaining their consents. These patients were then matched with at least 2 cancer-free subjects to serve as controls and whose serum vitamin D levels were also measured. The serum vitamin D levels obtained for the two groups were then categorized into normal (>35 ng/ml), mild deficiency (25-35 ng/ml), moderate deficiency (12.5-25 ng/ml), and severe deficiency (<12.5 ng/ml). The data were analyzed statistically and the two groups compared. RESULTS: A total of 51 patients with OSCC (Male 22 [43%] and female 29 [57%]) and 113 cancer-free controls (Male 36 [31.86%] and female 77 [68.14%]) were included in the study. The commonest site for OSCC was the tongue, accounting for 45% of the cancer cases. Mean age for cancer patients was 59.33 years ±12.54 and 49.24 years ±15.79 for the control. Among the OSCC patients, 74.51% had moderate to severe vitamin D deficiencies, whereas only 20.35% had a moderate deficiency in the control group with no severe deficiency. CONCLUSION: Logistic regression analysis shows a positive association between vitamin D deficiency and OSCC risk especially in levels below 25 ng/ml. This further corroborates the assertion that vitamin D deficiency may be a useful indicator of OSCC. It may, therefore, be necessary to routinely prescribe vitamin D supplements to subjects with moderate to severe deficiencies in order to decrease the chances of OSCC development.

Prevalence of Periodontitis in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis: a Case Control Study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of periodontal disease among patients undergoing renal dialysis. METHODS: Sixty hemodialysis patients (30 males, 30 females) with a mean age of 44.4±9.5 years comprised the study group. Periodontal parameters such as plaque index (PI), bleeding on probing (BOP), probing pocket depth (PPD) and clinical attachment level (CAL) were measured in these patients and 60 age and sex-matched control subjects. The data was tabulated and analyzed. RESULTS: The mean duration of dialysis was 5.50±3.02 years. The plaque index (PI) bleeding on probing (BOP), Periodontal probing depth (PPD) and clinical attachment level (CAL) were significantly higher in patients undergoing hemodialysis than in control subjects. The mean clinical attachment level was significantly higher among the dialysis patients (2.78±0.83 mm) than the control subjects (1.97±0.53 mm). The plaque index and bleeding on probing also showed a similar pattern in patients undergoing hemodialysis compared to control patients. The prevalence and severity of periodontal disease seems to be higher in patients undergoing dialysis. CONCLUSION: From the observations of this study, it can be concluded that patients undergoing hemodialysis are more prone to periodontal diseases. Further studies with a larger population and a comparison with the duration of dialysis may further substantiate the current findings.