Role of serum microRNAs as biomarkers for endometriosis, endometrioid carcinoma of ovary & endometrioid endometrial cancer.

Background & objectives: Accurate and early diagnosis is imperial in the management of endometriosis, endometrioid carcinoma of ovary (ECO) and endometrioid endometrial cancer (EC), yet there are no definitive diagnostic methods available for these diseases. Therefore, the present study was aimed to evaluate the diagnostic potential of differentially expressed miRNAs in serum samples of women with endometriosis, ECO and EC to establish them as diagnostic biomarkers. Methods: Blood samples (5 ml) were obtained from 40 patients (n=10/study group) undergoing laparoscopy/laparotomy/hysterectomy. miRNA-rich RNA was extracted from the serum samples, and quantitative real-time (qRT)-PCR was performed to check the expression levels of miR-16, miR-99b, miR-20a, miR-145, miR-143 and miR-125a in all the samples. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was done to check the diagnostic potential. Results: In endometriosis, miR-16 was downregulated (P<0.05) whereas miR-99b, miR-125a, miR-143 and miR-145 were upregulated (P<0.05). In ECO group, downregulated expression of miR-16 and miR-125a (P<0.05) was observed, whereas miR-99b, miR-143 and miR-145 were upregulated (P<0.05). In endometrioid EC, miR-16, miR-99b, miR-125 and miR-145 were downregulated (P<0.05), whereas miR-143 was upregulated (P<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that, for endometriosis, miR-99b, miR-125a, miR-143 and miR-145 served as diagnostic markers. miR-145 showed diagnostic power for ECO, and for endometrioid EC, miR-16, miR-99b, miR-125a and miR-145 showed diagnostic potential. Interpretation & conclusions: The present findings suggested that certain circulating miRNAs (miB99b, miR-16, miR-125a, miR-145) might act as indicators and discriminators of endometriosis and endometrioid subtypes of EC and ovarian cancer and might serve as potential biomarkers for early diagnosis and management of these debilitating diseases.

Comparative evaluation of periodontal inflammatory conditions among gutka-chewers with and without prediabetes.

BACKGROUND: The metabolic syndrome has become one of the major public-health challenges worldwide which include diabetes, prediabetes (raised blood glucose level), abdominal obesity, high cholesterol level, and high blood pressure. Periodontitis is described as a multi-factorial irreversible and cumulative condition and, is also the sixth complication of diabetes. Areca nut chewing has already been linked with the development of various cancers, and more recently with metabolic syndrome. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to investigate the association of periodontal inflammatory conditions among gutka chewing with and without prediabetes patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: There are about 50 pre-diabetic and 50 healthy patients, both males and females with the age range of 18 years to 45 years, were included in the study. They were then divided into 4 groups based upon gutka chewers and non-chewers i.e., pre-diabetic gutka chewers (PDC), pre-diabetic non-chewers (PDNC), healthy gutka chewers (HC), and healthy non-chewers (HNC). A complete demographic data was obtained along with clinical and radiographic parameters i.e. plaque index (PI), sulcus bleeding index (SBI), probing depth (PD), marginal bone loss (MBL) were recorded. A statistical analysis was performed and Bonferroni adjustment post hoc test was performed for multiple comparisons. RESULTS: The overall results suggested that the clinical periodontal parameters i.e., PD, PI, SBI and radiologic parameters i.e., MBL are significantly higher in prediabetes chewers compared with healthy chewers and healthy non chewers. CONCLUSION: The periodontal inflammatory conditions are worse in gutka chewers compared to non-chewers in healthy and pre-diabetic patients, concluding that the severity of periodontal inflammation is governed by hyperglycemia when compared to habitual gutka usage.

Comparative Evaluation of Altered Taste Perception among Oral Submucous Fibrosis Patients.

BACKGROUND: Taste perception is an important factor in sustaining human life. Impairment of taste is one of the important features of oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF), and it has not received much attention, owing to limited research work in the field. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine taste alteration in OSMF patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 200 participants, both males and females with the age range of 20 years to 55 years, were included in the study. Four basic tastants (i.e., sweet, salt, sour, and bitter) were prepared as follows: sucrose for sweet (0.1-1.0 mol/l), sodium chloride for salty (0.01-1.0 mol/l), citric acid for sour (0.320-0.032 mol/l), and quinine sulfate for bitter (0.01-1.0 mol/l) and full mouth rinse test was performed for a complete taste response examination, after which punch biopsy was taken from buccal mucosa to determine histopathological staging. The data obtained were tabulated and analyzed by the Pearson Chi-square test; P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The overall results suggested that there was a significant alteration of taste. The sweet taste was altered followed by salty and bitter was least affected. CONCLUSION: The study points out at the significance of alteration in taste perception is OSMF patients related to sweet, salt, sour, and bitter taste by using physiological stimuli tastants.