ABSTRACT
CONTEXT: Oral leukoplakia (OL) is a well-recognized precancerous lesion with various etiological factors. Most commonly deleterious oral habits such as tobacco smoking and viral etiologies mainly human papillomavirus (HPV) play an important role. p53 polymorphisms mostly homozygous Arginine (Arg) allele has a greater risk of degradation by HPV. Hence, HPV infection and p53 polymorphisms may act as synergistic factors for increased the risk of malignant transformation in oral precancerous lesions. AIMS: The aim of this study is to evaluate the risk of OL and its malignant transformation due to infection by HPV and p53 polymorphisms in the oral biopsy samples through polymerase chain reaction (PCR). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 40 individuals were involved- 10 individuals were controls without deleterious habits, 15 were controls with deleterious habits, and 15 were with histologically confirmed OL individuals with deleterious habits. PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism using sma1 enzyme were carried out to evaluate the expression of HPV and p53 polymorphisms. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Chi-square test, Fischer's exact t-test, and odds ratio. RESULTS: (1) HPV DNA expression was higher in Leukoplakia individuals than controls. (2) p53 genotype with homozygous Arg was more in HPV-infected individuals. CONCLUSIONS: To conclude HPV infected OL cases were mostly with Arg/Arg type of p53 polymorphism.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Saliva, "Mirror of body's health" has long been of particular interest as a substitute for blood for disease diagnosis and monitoring. The radiation effects on salivary glands are of particular interest in which salivary amylase is a good indicator of salivary glands function. Thus, estimation of these parameters represents a reasonable approach in evaluation of patient's risk for disease occurrence, intensity and prognosis. AIM OF STUDY: To evaluate and compare the pH and amylase levels in saliva of cancer patients prior to treatment, patients during treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Saliva samples of 90 individuals were taken which were divided into 3 groups - 30 individuals without cancer, 30 cancer patients prior treatment and 30 cancer patients during treatment. Materials used were pH strips and pH meter, Salivary Amylase assay. RESULTS: Statistical analysis - ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey's test. 1) Significant decrease in salivary amylase levels - in cancer patients, during treatment when compared to others. 2) Significant decrease in salivary pH levels in newly diagnosed cancer patients prior to treatment. CONCLUSION: To conclude, pH strips and pH meter showed to be a useful tool in the measurement of pH of saliva in individuals with and without cancer. This study showed that cancer patients without treatment have a lower pH of saliva. Treatment increased the pH of the saliva to a more alkaline level whereas amylase levels decreased in those subjects. Therefore those parameters can be an area of further research with an increased sample size, which in-turn may help in opening the doors for new dimension in non invasive prognostic markers.
