Pseudomembranous Type of Oral Candidiasis is Associated with Decreased Salivary Flow Rate and Secretory Immunoglobulin A Levels.

Saliva plays an important role in maintaining microbial homeostasis in the oral cavity, while salivary gland hypofunction predisposes the oral mucosa to pathologic alteration and increases the risk for oral candidiasis. This study sought to determine the salivary flow rate (SFR) and secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) levels in HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals and evaluate their relationship with the determinants of oral candidiasis. Sixty HIV-positive (30 with and 30 without oral candidiasis) and 30 healthy HIV-negative individuals were enrolled. Cotton pellet was weighed pre- and post-saliva collection for the assessment of SFR, while SIgA levels were estimated by commercial ELISA (Diametra, Italy) kit. The mean ± SD, SFR and SIgA levels in HIV-positive individuals with candidiasis, without candidiasis and HIV-negative controls were 0.396 ± 0.290, 0.546 ± 0.355 and 0.534 ± 0.214 ml/min and 115.891 ± 37.621, 136.024 ± 51.075 and 149.418 ± 31.765 µg/ml, respectively. A positive correlation between low CD4 counts (indicator of immunodeficiency) and SIgA was observed in HIV-positive individuals with candidiasis (r = 0.373, p = 0.045). We also report here for the first time the significant decrease in SFR and SIgA levels in individuals presenting with pseudomembranous type of oral candidiasis and Candida albicans infection.

Sex determination by amplification of amelogenin gene from dental pulp tissue by polymerase Chain Reaction.

INTRODUCTION: Forensic odontology necessarily involves the application of dentistry along with various other branches of sciences which deals with proper handling, examination, evaluation, and presentation of dental evidences, that aids to investigate a crime and deliver justice. Sex determination is a part of forensic odontology and an essential priority when traditional identification of the deceased becomes impossible. AIM: To determine Sex by analysis of the Amelogenin gene using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method on Deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA) isolated from dental pulp, which was exposed to various environmental conditions created artificially to mimic a forensic scenario. MATERIALS AND METHOD: This in-vitro study was conducted by subjecting extracted teeth to various conditions imitating a forensic scene, viz. desiccation at room temperatures, immersion in salt water, burial in soil and even exposing to extremes of temperatures. DNA was extracted from dental pulp tissue and sex determination was achieved by amplification of the amelogenin gene through AMEL gene based primers in PCR. RESULT: Among all the samples used in this study, DNA could be extracted from all, except from those that were subjected to a temperature of 350 °C. DNA amplification and sex determination of the samples were found to be accurate when compared to sex of the individual which was recorded initially, during collection of teeth samples. CONCLUSION: This study shows teeth to be a potent source of DNA even in extreme environmental conditions, barring high temperatures and determination of sex by PCR amplification of AMEL markers to be quite reliable.

The Insight for Initiation and Maintenance of Areca nut chewing Habit and its Effects on Oral Health Status among School Age Population in Western Rajasthan, India.

INTRODUCTION: Areca nut is highly carcinogenic according to International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Its usage is continuously increasing in children and adolescents in India. AIM: The aim of the study was to understand the reasons for the development of the areca nut chewing habit at early age. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 2846 subjects were surveyed from rural government schools between ages of 4 to18 years in Western Rajasthan, India. A structured questionnaire was designed to record the factors associated with initiation and continuation of areca nut chewing habits. A systemic oral examination was done to access current oral health status in these users. Students were divided into two groups viz. Group 1 and 2, comprising of students from 4 to 10 years and 11 to18 years respectively. RESULTS: Total 34.5% children in Group 1 and 72.8% in Group 2, were indulged with the habit of chewing areca nut. Study revealed that social environment and secondarily stimulating effect of areca nut have association with initiation and maintenance of habits. A total of 55 subjects were diagnosed at various clinical stages of Oral Submucous Fibrosis (OSMF). CONCLUSION: Areca nut cessation programs should be initiated on the primary education level for the prevention of this habit in Western Rajasthan, India.

Quantitative Assessment of Tumor Associated Macrophages in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Using CD68 Marker: An Immunohistochemical Study.

INTRODUCTION: Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most prevalent cancers in India. Clear evidence regarding inflammation being an etiological factor of cancer was found only in the last few decades. A major inflammatory component in the tumor tissue is Tumor-Associated Macrophages (TAMs). The CD68 antibody is a marker for staining TAMs. AIM: The aim of this study is to quantify the macrophage count in healthy oral mucosa and OSCC and comparing TAMs in different histopathological grades of OSCC immunohistochemically. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty archival specimens of OSCC patients and 10 healthy biopsy samples were collected. Immunohistochemical staining was done using a CD68 marker. Statistical analysis was done using Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA and Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: Comparing CD68 expression in various study groups showed a significant difference (p=0.000). The pair-wise analysis showed different grades of OSCC, which differed significantly for CD68 expression from the normal oral mucosa. CONCLUSION: The most significant cells present in tumor stroma are TAMs, which remain in close proximity to neoplastic cells and interact with them via several chemical mediators, which may serve to increase the invasiveness of the malignant epithelium. Dense infiltration of TAMs adjacent to tumor cells and islands vividly implies their role in tumor progression.

Anti-carcinogenic and Anti-bacterial Properties of Selected Spices: Implications in Oral Health.

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food", as said by the father of medicine, Hippocrates in 431 B.C. Nature has provided us with a variety of treatment modalities in the form of food. For the first 5,000 years of civilization, humans relied on herbs and foods for medicine. Only in the past 60 years have we forgotten our medicinal "roots" in favor of patented medicines. While pharmaceutical ingredients have their value, we should not overlook the well-documented, non-toxic and inexpensive healing properties of food. As an individual we consume food several times a day without a complete understanding of its innate qualities. As part of a daily diet, food plays a significant role in helping our bodies function at their best. There are hundreds of extremely nutritious foods, but the items in this article do more than providing healthy nutrients. Many of them consist of ingredients with hidden pharmaceutical qualities ranging from anti-inflammatory to anti-carcinogenic agent. They not only boost our innate immunity but also act as an adjunct to medicines for specific treatment. Prevention and management of symptoms can often be improved significantly through the foods we consume regularly. This paper overviews these beneficial traits of food ingredients, consumed on a daily basis, in various oral diseases.

Merkel cell carcinoma - Beast with two Backs.

Merkel cell carcinoma of cutaneous and mucosal origin shows many differences like in origin, etiology, anatomical site, prognosis etc. This communication focuses briefly on the differences between mucosal MCC and cutaneous MCC.

Dynamic role of myofibroblasts in oral lesions.

Fibroblasts are the most abundant cellular components of connective tissue. They possess phenotypical heterogenicity and may be present in the form of smooth muscle cells or myofibroblasts (MFs). MFs are spindle-shaped cells with stress fibres and well-developed fibronexus, and they display α-smooth muscle actin immunohistochemically and smooth-muscle myofilaments ultrastructurally. MFs play a crucial role in physiological and pathological processes. Derived from various sources, they play pivotal roles not only by synthesizing and producing extracellular matrix components, such as other connective tissue cells, but also are involved in force production. In the tissue remodelling phase of wound closure, integrin-mediated interactions between MFs and type I collagen result in scar tissue formation. The tumour stroma in oral cancer actively recruits various cell types into the tumour mass, where they act as different sources of MFs. This article reviews the importance of MFs and its role in pathological processes such as wound healing, odontogenic cysts and tumours, salivary gland tumours, oral preneoplasia, and oral squamous cell carcinoma. Research oriented on blocking the transdifferentiation of fibroblasts into MFs can facilitate the development of noninvasive therapeutic strategies for the treatment of fibrosis and/or cancer.

Plasmablastic lymphoma of gingiva mimicking a reactive lesion: a case report.

Oral plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is a rare malignancy, associated with HIV or other immunocompromised conditions. The lesion constituted a new subtype of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and proposed a distinct entity based on its basic morphology, its clinical behaviour involving predominantly extramedullary sites (particularly oral cavity), and its limited antigenic phenotype data suggesting plasmacytic differentiation. Authors here report a case of apparently healthy individual aged 35 years, presenting one-month history of swelling associated with loosened teeth around upper anteriors. Following incisional biopsy, routine histopathologic and immunohistochemical studies, the diagnosis of plasmablastic lymphoma was given.