Histo-Blood Group Antigens in Oral Cancer and Potentially Malignant Disorders.

BACKGROUND: Early detection of oral cancer is of critical importance because survival rates markedly improve when oral lesions are identified at an early stage. Aim of the present study is to investigate the expression of ABO (H) antigens in tissue specimens of oral cancer and potentially malignant disorders and to determine the role of ABO (H) antigens in tumour staging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study was conducted on 60 cases of oral cancer and potentially malignant diseases. Specific red cell adherence test (SRCA-test) was used for studying A, B and O (H) antigens in tissue specimens and iso-antigenicity of epithelium was graded according to degree of adherence of indicator red blood cells. RESULTS: Among OSMF group, grade II adherence was seen in 53.3% cases, grade III in 33.3% cases, grade IV in 13.3% cases. In leukoplakia group, grade II adherence was seen in 26.7% cases, grade III adherence in 53.3% cases, grade IV adherence in 20% cases. Within the leukoplakia group, cases with dysplasia showed decreased adherence, compared with cases without dysplasia. Oral cancer group, negative adherence was seen in 13.3% cases, grade I adherence in 46.7% cases, grade II in 40% cases. In oral cancer group, antigen reactivity was less in poorly and moderately differentiated carcinoma, compared to well differentiated carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: Antigen adherence and degree of loss of ABO (H) antigens in tissue specimens can be used for staging of the tumour.

Association of Diabetes with Oral Cancer- an Enigmatic Correlation.

INTRODUCTION: Association of diabetes mellitus (DM) with head and neck cancers (HNC) is still controversial. In some studies, diabetic patients had an increased risk of cancer at some HNC subsites like oral cancer, while in other studies this risk was decreased. So, the present study aims to evaluate the association of diabetes mellitus, oral cancer with and without metformin and the role of habits in association with DM and metformin in the etiology of oral cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was undertaken in the Kamineni Institute of Dental Sciences in collaboration with MNJ Institute of Oncology and Regional Cancer Centre, Hyderabad. The study includes 2 main groups, they are 500 Oral cancer patients and Control group includes 500 age and gender-matched patients with habits without any oral precancerous lesion/conditions. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using unconditional logistic regression. RESULTS: Out of 1000 subjects inverse relation of DM with oral cancer was observed. On comparison between oral cancer, diabetes and habits in study group and control group, decreased risk was observed with smokers (OR: 1.131and 95%CI: 0.68 -1.86) and non-chewers (OR: 2.43 and 95% CI: 1.31 - 4.49) and non-alcoholics (OR: 1.78 and 95% C.I:1.18 - 2.68). Metformin use among diabetic participants was associated with a decreased risk of oral cancer (OR: 0.51 and 95% C.I: 0.33 - 0.77). A negative association was observed in smokers (OR: 0.19 and 95% C.I.: 0.078 - 0.459), non-chewers (OR: 0.24 and 95% C.I : 0.11- 0.53) and non-alcoholics (OR: 0.46 and 95% C.I. : 0.29 - 0.727). CONCLUSION: Thus the present population based study results suggest an inverse association of DM and oral cancer with metformin and negative association of habits with DM and Metformin in etiology of oral cancer.

Evaluation of Gustatory Function in Oral Submucous Fibrosis Patients and Gutka Chewers

Aim: The aim of the study is to assess and compare taste perception among Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) patients, Gutka chewers without OSMF and healthy subjects. Materials and methods: Ninety subjects (30 OSMF, 30 Gutka chewers without OSMF and 30 controls) were enrolled in the study for assessing taste perception by filter paper strips impregnated with different taste qualities. Taste perception assessment was also done in stage I, II and III OSMF subjects. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS 20.0 software. Results: The gustatory defect was related to sweet, sour, bitter and salt, with significant changes in sour (33.3% showed hypoguesia) taste in OSMF subjects and 13.3%showed hypoguesia to all tastants in gutka chewers and hypoguesia to salt, sour and bitter to grade III compared in grade I and II. Conclusion: This study proved that there is significant alterations to taste perception with sour, salt, and bitter and then to sweet in OSMF subjects.

Sonographic imaging of fibrosis of oral mucosa and its correlation with clinical staging in oral submucous fibrosis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of ultrasonography (USG) as a noninvasive tool in assessing the severity of oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) by measuring the submucosal thickness and also to correlate the sonographic changes with clinical staging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The submucosal thickness of the upper and lower labial mucosa, anterior and posterior portions of the right and left buccal mucosa were measured using ultrasound in 64 patients comprising of 32 OSMF patients and 32 controls. Among the controls, 16 were with a habit of chewing gutkha and 16 were without any habit history. RESULTS: In OSMF group, four patients were with Stage I, 13 were with Stage II, 11 were with Stage III, and four with Stage IV. Results were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance for the significance of difference among the groups in submucosal thickness. As the stages of OSMF advanced, there was an increase in submucosal thickness of the buccal mucosa in the study group when compared with controls (P< 0.005). CONCLUSION: USG is an effective noninvasive zero radiation tool for assessing the progression of OSMF.

3D Evaluation of Maxillary Sinus Using Computed Tomography: A Sexual Dimorphic Study.

Purpose. Gender determination is considered to be an important step in the reconstruction of the biological profile in forensic medicine. Maxillary sinus can be used for identification of sex when other methods are indecisive. Computed tomography (CT) provides an excellent method for examining maxillary sinuses. Hence the aim of the study was to determine the accuracy of gender determination using maxillary sinus with CT. Materials and Methods. CT images were used to measure the mediolateral, superoinferior, and anteroposterior dimensions and the volume of the maxillary sinuses in 100 patients (50 males and 50 females) to determine the gender of an individual for forensic identification. Discriminative analysis was done using the values derived and the t-test for independent samples was used to compare these values in males and females. Results. The accuracy rate was found to be 84% in males and 92% in females with the mean accuracy of 88%. Conclusion. Our study concludes that gender determination can be done using measurements of maxillary sinus through CT when other methods are unavailable. The prediction rate can be increased by including volume of the maxillary sinus.

Estimation of serum superoxide dismutase and serum malondialdehyde in oral submucous fibrosis: a clinical and biochemical study.

BACKGROUND: To estimate the level of lipid peroxidation product (MDA) and the activities of antioxidative enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the correlation of these parameters in Oral Submucous fibrosis (OSF). AIMS: Estimation of MDA and SOD levels in OSF patients and controls. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Patients above 15 years of age, who were diagnosed as OSF based upon thorough history, clinical examination and histopathological examination without any underlying systemic diseases, were included in the present study. Equal number of healthy subjects without any deleterious habits and without any clinically obvious oral lesions or systemic diseases were selected as the control group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The estimation of MDA in serum was done by thiobarbituric acid reactive species method. SOD was assayed by inhibition and autoxidation of adrenaline method. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: The data were analyzed with Student's t-test. RESULTS: Comparison of MDA, SOD among the OSF group and control group showed statistically significant increased levels of malondialdehyde and decreased levels of superoxide dismutase among the OSF groups. Significant changes were not seen in MDA and SOD levels between the different grades of OSF. CONCLUSIONS: From the present study, estimation of lipid peroxidation like MDA was done, which showed increased levels in the OSF group compared to the control group and antioxidant enzyme levels like SOD showed decreased levels in the OSF group compared to the control group. These can be considered as a subject of interest for their possible role in many of the precancerous and cancerous conditions.

Melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy: A rare case report with differential diagnosis and review of the literature.

Melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy is a very rare benign but locally aggressive neoplasm of neural crest origin with a high recurrence rate. It usually affects infants of less than 1 year of age. Most commonly, the lesion affects the maxilla followed by skull, mandible, brain and other extracranial sites. We report an 11-month-old female baby with a similar tumor involving the anterior region of maxilla along with a brief review of the literature and differential diagnosis. A wide surgical excision was performed by an intraoral approach. A 2-year follow-up of the patient showed no recurrence.