GLUT-1 Expression: An Aid in Complementing the WHO Oral Epithelial Dysplasia Grading System.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES: The clinicopathologic parameters alone are not sufficient to precisely predict if oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) remain unchanged, i.e., without any malignant changes, regress, or advance to oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC). Few of the OPMDs, with or without epithelial dysplasia, may transform to frank OSCC. Discovering various molecular markers that can predict OSCC transformation is essential to develop effective therapeutic strategies. GLUT-1 is one of the hypoxia as well as metabolic indicator markers that have been used to study the metabolic activity of the cells. Hence, given by the World Health Organization (WHO), GLUT-1 expression was studied in various grades of dysplasia to see whether it complements the WHO grading system (mild, moderate, and severe). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out on paraffin-embedded tissues of 10 normal oral mucosa and 30 OPMD cases. OPMD cases were classified into hyperkeratosis, mild dysplasia, moderate dysplasia, and severe dysplasia groups. Immunohistochemistry was carried out to evaluate the expression of GLUT-1 antigen. RESULTS: According to the WHO grading system of dysplasia, 11 (36.66%) cases were classified as hyperkeratosis, 9 (30%) cases were classified as mild dysplasia, 6 (20%) cases as moderate dysplasia, and 4 (13.33%) cases as severe dysplasia. There was a significant increase in GLUT-1 expression from normal to mild, moderate, and severe dysplasia (p value = 0.00). CONCLUSION: The expression of GLUT-1 marker complements the WHO grading system of oral epithelial dysplasia. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: GLUT-1 expression can be used to complement the WHO grading system to grade epithelial dysplasia.

Evaluation of Candidiasis in Upper-Aerodigestive Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients-A Clinico-Mycological Aspect.

Candida is a commensal yeast. It can be infective when the host's defense mechanism is weakened, as in the case of squamous cell carcinoma patients. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and clinical mycological manifestation of candidiasis in 150 cancer cases comprised of preoperative and post-operative (with or without radiotherapy) upper aerodigestive squamous cell carcinoma. A total of 150 patients suffering from squamous cell carcinoma of the Upper Aero-Digestive Tract (UADT) were divided into preoperative (n = 48), post-operative without radiotherapy (n = 29) and post-operative with radiotherapy (n = 73). Samples were collected using cotton swabs and cultured. Candida species were identified according to color pigmentation on Candida Differential Agar (CDA) plate. The clinico-mycological association of patients was evaluated by the chi-square test, and 98 out of 150 patients showed the presence of various Candida species. The major species isolated was Candida albicans (53%), followed by Candida tropicalis (16%). There was a significant statistical difference between patients who showed mycological associations and patients who did not have any such association (p = 0.0008). The prevalence of oral candidiasis was found to be 65.33% among total cases of upper aero-digestive squamous cell carcinoma. Chronic erythematous cases of candidiasis were mainly seen in preoperative squamous cell carcinoma cases, whereas the acute erythematous type of candidiasis was mainly seen in post-operative cases who received radiotherapy. The clinicomycological assessment can help to correlate the signs and symptoms with the presence of candidiasis in upper aerodigestive squamous cell carcinoma patients. Meticulous testing and examination can help in the early detection of candidiasis. Future studies are needed to develop advance scientific preventive strategies for high-risk cases.

Heritability and correlation of lip print, palm print, fingerprint pattern and blood group in twin population.

BACKGROUND: Twins are similar in many ways owing to the genetical and environmental factors. However, still, there are certain things that are not similar among them, and this is the challenge for personal identification among the twins. OBJECTIVES: Our present study aimed to know and assess the similarities and differences present between the monozygotic (identical) and dizygotic (fraternal) twins in relation to lip prints, palm prints, fingerprints and blood group and to evaluate their heritability among parents and their offspring. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study group comprised 30 twins and their parents - 15 identical and 15 nonidentical twins. The age of twins ranged from 15 years to 40 years. Lip print, palm print, fingerprint and blood group were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: All the data were subjected to statistical analysis. The identical twins showed more percentage of similarities in comparison to the non identical twins. The inheritance pattern was significant for twins in case of their lip prints while palm prints and finger prints showed no such significance in inheritance pattern whereas there was significant association seen in case of blood groups of identical twins and their parents. CONCLUSION: Lip prints, palm prints, fingerprints and blood groups are the important parameters in forensic science for individual identification. Many studies have been done till now in individual but very few studies done in twin population. To the best of knowledge, ours is the first study of its kind with multiple parameters and its heritability in twins. We have observed that heritability in twins with relation to lip print was statistically significant and all the parameters can be used independently to identify the twins.