Salivary Biomarkers for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: An Overview.

Oral Cancer encompasses an important faction of neoplasms of head and neck. More than 90% of oral cancers are oral squamous cell carcinomas. Ideally, this fatal disease is detected through a comprehensive clinical examination by the oral health care professionals. Regardless of the fact that the oral cavity is easily accessible, most oral cancers are typically detected at an advanced stage. This has attributed to lower survival rate. Saliva, an aqueous biological fluid is in direct contact with the oral cancer lesion. Hence, the abnormal DNA, RNA, protein molecules released by the malignant cells can be easily obtained from saliva. Saliva, being a noninvasive diagnostic aid can be an alternative to serum for early detection, monitoring post therapy status, prognosis of oral cancer patients. This article aims to provide a brief overview of various salivary biomarkers and their implications in oral cancer.

Genetic biomarkers of depression.

Depression is a term that has been used to describe a variety of ailments, ranging from minor to incapacitating. Clinically significant depression, termed as major depression, is a serious condition characterized not only by depressed mood but also by a cluster of somatic, cognitive, and motivational symptoms. Significant research efforts are aimed to understand the neurobiological as well as psychiatric disorders, and the evaluation of treatment of these disorders is still based solely on the assessment of symptoms. In order to identify the biological markers for depression, we have focused on gathering information on different factors responsible for depression including stress, genetic variations, neurotransmitters, and cytokines and chemokines previously suggested to be involved in the pathophysiology of depression. The present review illustrates the potential of biomarker profiling for psychiatric disorders, when conducted in large collections. The review highlighted the biomarker signatures for depression, warranting further investigation.

Genetic assessment of serological and biochemical markers in Bharia tribe of Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh.

BACKGROUND: The present sero-genetic study is the first of its kind to present the baseline data of Bharia tribe of Madhya Pradesh. The main aim of this study is to provide phenotype and allele-frequency data to characterize the population genetically and to fill the void on the genetic map of Madhya Pradesh. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For this, blood samples from 92 unrelated healthy individuals of Bharia tribe from Chhindwara district (Tamia block) were collected. Hemolysates prepared were analyzed for two serological (A1A2BO and Rh) and six biochemical (adenosine deaminase, adenylate kinase locus 1, acid phosphatase locus 1, phosphoglucomutase locus 1, esterase D and glucosephosphate isomerase) parameters, following the standard electrophoretic techniques. RESULTS: The Chi-square test for goodness of fit revealed no significant deviation between the observed and expected numbers in any of the seven genetic markers, suggesting that the tribe is in genetic equilibrium. A high incidence of B allele in A1A2BO blood group and low incidence of the A1 allele, with presence of A2 in only one individual, and a low frequency of Rh(D) (Rh negative allele) was observed in serological markers. Also, no rare variant was observed for biochemical markers. CONCLUSION: Principal Component Analysis done in order to detect the genetic affinity of Bharia tribe with other populations from the adjoining states of Madhya Pradesh based on the allele frequencies, showed a close association of Bharia with Gujarat and Rajasthan. Hence, this study has been helpful in revealing the genetic structure and affinity of Bharia tribe.