ABSTRACT
Background: Sepsis is a major worldwide cause of morbidity and mortality. Hence, rapid and reliable diagnosis is essential. Emergency departments use a standard measure of sepsis, based upon an elevated Lactate level in blood. Saliva is more readily available and easier to obtain than blood samples, and is increasingly being studied as a new source of diagnostic information. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate whether analysis of Lactate levels in saliva can substitute for that of Lactate levels in blood. Methods/Materials: We processed saliva samples and serum samples from septic shock and non-septic shock patients. We found out Lactate levels in both the group. We plotted the concentration of Lactate in non-septic and septic patients and compared lactate levels in saliva to its levels in blood.Statistical analysis: Results were statistically analyzed by independent sample t test and A Spearman rho correlation. Results: We found increased serum and salivary Lactate levels in all cases of sepsis compared to the control group. Notably, the increase in Lactate levels was higher in serum as compared to saliva in septic patients, suggesting saliva may not serve as a better indicator of sepsis compared to blood. Salivary lactate was more in septic shock patients compared to non-septic shock patients. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study to compare lactic acid levels in serum and saliva in cases of sepsis. The increase in serum lactate in patients with sepsis is evident when compared to increase in salivary lactate, so serum lactate level would be easier for physicians to differentiate septic patients from non-septic patients. Salivary lactate may not serve as better indicator in septic shock patients.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Angiogenesis is a complex event mediated by angiogenic factors released from cancer cells and immune cells. It has been reported to be associated with progression, aggressiveness and metastases of various malignant tumors including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Similarly, mast cells have also been reported to play a role in tumor progression and metastases by promoting angiogenesis. OBJECTIVES: The present study was conducted to compare microvessel density (MVD) and mast cell density (MCD) in different histological grades of OSCC in comparison with normal oral mucosa (NM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Comparison of MVD by CD34 and MCD by toluidine blue among different histological grades of OSCC and in NM as controls. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The results were analysed using "t" test, ANOVA and Pearson's correlation co-efficient. RESULTS: The mean MVD was higher in different grades as compared to normal mucosa. Intergroup comparison of increase in MVD between different grades of OSCC was not found to be highly statistically significant. Pearson's correlation between MVD and MCD revealed a linear increase in MVD as the MCD increased, suggestive of a positive correlation. CONCLUSION: There was significant correlation found between MVD and MCD which was in agreement that mast cells promote tumor progression through upregulation of angiogenesis.