Salivary Scca1, Scca2 and Trop2 in Oral Cancer Patients-A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is frequently diagnosed in the advanced stages. The purpose of this paper is to determine the salivary values of SCCA1, SCCA2 and TROP2 in patients with T1N0M0 OSCC and to compare them with the values obtained from healthy individuals. Unstimulated (UWS) and stimulated (SWS) saliva was sampled from 29 patients with T1N0M0 OSCC and 29 sex- and age-matched healthy individuals. Statistical difference was observed in SCCA1 and SCCA2 levels both in UWS and SWS samples. TROP2 was not measurable in most of the salivary samples. Both SCCA1 and SCCA2 could represent potential biomarkers for the early-stage OSCC. Research on a larger sample and biomarker validation is needed to assess the clinical potential of SCCA1 and SCCA2 in the OSCC early diagnostics.

Ganglioside Composition Distinguishes Anaplastic Ganglioglioma Tumor Tissue from Peritumoral Brain Tissue: Complementary Mass Spectrometry and Thin-Layer Chromatography Evidence.

Gangliosides serve as antitumor therapy targets and aberrations in their composition strongly correlate with tumor growth and invasiveness. Anaplastic ganglioglioma is a rare, poorly characterized, malignant neuronal-glial tumor type. We present the first comparative characterization of ganglioside composition in anaplastic ganglioglioma vs. peritumoral and healthy brain tissues by combining mass spectrometry and thin-layer chromatography. Anaplastic ganglioglioma ganglioside composition was highly distinguishable from both peritumoral and healthy tissue despite having five to six times lower total content. Ten out of twelve MS-identified ganglioside classes, defined by unique glycan residues, were represented by a large number and considerable abundance of individual species with different fatty acid residues (C16-C24) in ceramide portions. The major structurally identified class was tumor-associated GD3 (>50%) with 11 species; GD3 (d18:1/24:0) being the most abundant. The dominant sphingoid base residue in ganglioside ceramides was sphingosine (d18:1), followed by eicosasphingosine (d20:1). The peritumoral tissue ganglioside composition was estimated as normal. Specific ganglioside composition and large variability of ganglioside ceramide structures determined in anaplastic ganglioglioma demonstrate realistic ganglioside expression patterns and correspond to the profile of high-grade malignancy brain tumors.

Salivary melatonin in oral squamous cell carcinoma patients.

Melatonin's role in circadian rhythm is well documented, as are its' anti-oxidant, oncostatic and anti-inflammatory properties. Poor sleep quality has been associated as a potential risk factor for several malignancies, including head and neck cancers. The purpose of this study is to determine salivary melatonin (MLT) levels in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients, compare the salivary MLT levels with those in healthy individuals and compare the salivary and serum levels in OSCC patients. Furthermore, the aim is to investigate the potential relationship between sleep quality and salivary MLT levels in OSCC patients. Unstimulated (UWS) and stimulated (SWS) whole saliva was sampled from patients with T1N0M0 and T2N0M0 OSCC (N = 34) and 33 sex and age matched healthy subjects. Serum samples were taken from 11 OSCC patients. Sleep quality was measured using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire. Melatonin levels in UWS and SWS were significantly higher in the OSCC group. Sleep quality was significantly lower in patients with OSCC (P = 0.0001). ROC analysis was found to be significant (P < 0.001) in evaluating MLT concentration limit in diagnosing OSCC. The expected relationship between sleep quality and salivary MLT levels in OSCC patients was not observed. Our results suggest salivary MLT as a potential biomarker that might facilitate non-invasive detection of early stage OSCC.