Assessment of serum copper, iron and immune complexes in potentially malignant disorders and oral cancer

Abstract Potentially malignant disorders (PMDs) of oral cavity and oral cancer remain a cause of serious concern despite intensive research and development. Diet and immunity have been identified to play a crucial role as modifying factors in these diseases. Our study intended to explore this relationship by estimating and comparing the serum levels of copper, iron and circulating immune complexes (CICs) in patients diagnosed with PMDs and oral cancer and normal healthy individuals. In this study, 40 histopathologically diagnosed cases of PMDs and oral cancer were included along with 30 healthy controls and 5 ml of venous blood was drawn using venipuncture. Serum estimation of copper, iron and CIC then followed using the colorimetric and spectrophotometric methods. The data obtained was subjected to statistical analysis using one way ANOVA and Pearson's Product-Moment Correlation Test. The mean serum copper level was measured as 138.98 ± 10.13µg/100ml in the PMD group and 141.99 ± 21.44 µg/100ml in the oral cancer as compared to 105.5 + 18.81µ/100ml in the controls. The mean serum CIC levels was highest in the oral cancer (9.65 ± 0.16OD470) followed by the PMD group (0.18 + 0.21 OD470) and least in the control group (0.048 ± 0.02OD470). Whereas, the serum levels of iron showed a significant decrease in the PMD group (110.9 ± 10.54 µg/100ml) and the oral cancer group (114.29 ± 25.83 µg/100ml) as compared with the control group (136.85 ± 14.48 µg/100ml). There was no positive correlation obtained between the three groups with respect to the chosen parameters indicating that the variables were independent of each other. It can be thus be ascertained that trace elements like copper and iron as well as humoral responses (CICs) have a close relationship with PMDs and oral cancers.

ABO blood groups and oral premalignancies: A clinical study in selected Indian population.

Background: The ABO blood group antigens are present on the surface of red blood cells and various epithelial cells. As the majority of human cancers are derived from epithelial cells, changes in blood group antigens constitute an important aspect of human cancers. The aim of the study was to establish clinical usefulness of ABO blood group as a predisposing factor in early diagnosis and management of patients with oral precancerous lesions/conditions. Materials and Methods: The study sample consisted of 50 control and 50 oral precancer (25 leukoplakia and 25 Oral Submucous Fibrosis) confirmed by histopathologic examination. All samples were subjected to blood group testing and their prevalence was compared by Z-test using STATA version 8. Results: The "A" blood group was prevalent among the precancerous group. Significant differences on prevalences of blood groups were found (P < 0.05) between control versus leukoplakia and OSMF. Interestingly, 24% gutka chewers who had higher number of grades of dysplasia were falling in "A" blood group. Conclusion: Blood group type should be considered along with other risk factors to understand the individual patient's risk and further studies in larger samples with inclusion of Rh factor is needed to elucidate the relationship with ABO blood group types.

Expresión antigénica ABH y carácter secretor en pacientes con lesiones orales precancerosas y cancerosas / Secretor status and ABH antigens expression in patients with oral lesion

Los antígenos ABH, productos de la interacción de dos sistemas genéticos Hh y ABO, están sujetos a leyes de herencia y pueden estar localizados no sólo en los eritrocitos sino también en la mayoría de las células humanas. El objetivo del este trabajo fue investigar la relación entre el carácter secretor de pacientes con lesiones orales pre-malignas y malignas y la expresión antigénica ABH en cortes histológicos de dichas lesiones. Se trabajó con muestras incluídas en tacos de parafina de pacientes con lesiones orales. Los pacientes fueron clasificados en 2 grupos a) lesiones pre-malignas y malignas y b) lesiones benignas. Se investigaron los antígenos ABH por la técnica de inmunoadherencia específica modificada. Se utilizó la adherencia al tejido vascular como control positivo y al tejido adiposo como control negativo. Los resultados fueron semicuantificados desde adherencia fuertemente positiva a negativa. El carácter secretor fue determinado por la técnica de inhibición de la hemaglutinación. En 21 de las 34 muestras se observó una débil expresión antigénica en áreas atípicas, y deleción total en las áreas histológicamente afectadas por neoplasia. En 8 muestras hubo pérdida total de los antígenos ABH tanto en áreas normales como patológicas, estos pacientes presentaron un mayor grado de malignidad y metástasis que aquellos que conservaron la antigenicidad. Los pacientes con lesiones orales pre-malignas y malignas presentaron un incremento del carácter no secretor (52,3 por ciento) respecto de la población control (19,5 por ciento) y de aquellos pacientes con lesiones orales benignas (15.4 por ciento). Se observó una importante asociación entre pacientes no secretores y deleción de los antigenos ABH en muestras de lesiones orales. Además, hemos encontrado, en el grupo no secretor, una mayor malignidad de las lesiones orales como así también una mayor presentación de displasia epitelial. El estudio del carácter secretor en los pacientes con lesiones orales...

Alterations in plasma lipid profile patterns in head and neck cancer and oral precancerous conditions.

BACKGROUND: The changes in lipid profile have long been associated with cancer because lipids play a key role in maintenance of cell integrity. AIMS: The present study evaluated alterations in plasma lipid profile in untreated head and neck cancer patients as well as patients with oral precancerous conditions (OPC) and its association with habit of tobacco consumption. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This hospital-based case control study included 184 head and neck cancer patients, 153 patients with OPC and 52 controls. Plasma lipids including: (i) Total cholesterol, (ii) LDL cholesterol (LDLC), (iii) HDL cholesterol (HDLC) (iv) VLDL cholesterol (VLDLC) and (v) triglycerides were analysed by spectrophotometric kits. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Student's t-test was performed to compare mean values of the parameters. RESULTS: A significant decrease in plasma total cholesterol and HDLC was observed in cancer patients (P=0.008 and P=0.000 respectively) as well as in patients with OPC (P=0.014 and P=0.000, respectively) as compared to the controls. The plasma VLDL and triglycerides levels were significantly lower in cancer patients as compared to the patients with OPC (P=0.04) and controls (P=0.059). The tobacco habituates showed lower plasma lipid levels than the non-habituates. Our data strengthen the evidence of an inverse relationship between plasma lipid levels and head and neck malignancies as well as OPC. CONCLUSION: The lower levels of plasma cholesterol and other lipid constituents in patients might be due to their increased utilization by neoplastic cells for new membrane biogenesis. The findings strongly warrant an in-depth study of alterations in plasma lipid profile in head neck cancer patients.