Identification of risk factors for specific subsites within the oral and oropharyngeal region--a study of 647 cancer patients.

Studies on site specific risks for oral cancers are few. Present investigation explores the possible role of human sociodemographic factors in causing oral cancer. Majority of patients had poor oral hygiene (85.5%) and belonged to 51-60 years age group (35.7%). Most of the subjects were agriculture workers (30.3%). Tongue and floor of mouth included majority of the affected sites (77.2%). Male to female ratio was highest for tonsil (32.3%) but differed marginally for other subsites. Majority of females used tobacco (81%) while males users of tobacco, alcohol and smoking reported in nearly equal proportions. Tobacco and smoking were found as primary risk factors for several intraoral subsites. However, for tongue, palate and lip no risk factor could be identified from given patients' characteristics. In general, tobacco posed high risk for buccal mucosa and alveolus in comparison to other subsites. Smoking affected tonsil and floor of mouth more than other sites. Alcohol posed more risk for buccal mucosa and floor of mouth than tongue.

Isolation and characterization of allergens from the seeds of Vigna sinensis.

Allergenic components of cowpea vegetable green seeds (Vigna sinensis) were isolated based on solubility, isoelectric precipitation and molecular mass. The allergenicity of the cowpea fractions was monitored by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and skin-prick test. The allergenic albumin fraction was characterized by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and IgE-specific immunoblotting. The 41 and 55 kDa protein components were found to be major allergens and the allergenicity was resistant to heat and proteolytic enzyme digestion. This study confirms the presence of potent allergens in cowpea seeds.

A comparative study on the periodontal health status of adult populations of Kenya and India.

The purpose of this study was to compare the oral hygiene and periodontal health status of 497 randomly selected Kenyan and Indian adult populations aged between 20 and 35 years. Oral hygiene and periodontal health status were assessed using Silness and Loe plaque Index and Russel's Periodontal Index respectively. Results revealed that the overall mean plaque and periodontal index scores of Kenyan participants were significantly lower than those of Indians. Increase of mean Periodontal index with age was found to be significant among Kenyan participants and insignificant among Indian participants Kenyan female participants were found to have significant lower mean plaque and periodontal index scores than males. However, the mean periodontal index score of Indian male participants was found to be lower than that of female participants. It is concluded that Kenyan participants had better periodontal and oral hygiene status than Indian participants and that Indian females unlike Kenyan females had poorer periodontal health status than male.