Expression of p120 - catenin in oral squamous cell carcinoma and apparently normal mucosa adjacent to oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: An essential molecular occurrence in carcinogenesis that can lead to invasion and migration, predisposing cells to malignant transformation, involves alterations in cell adhesion molecules, such as p120 catenin. The destabilization of E-cadherin, caused by the loss or phosphorylation of p120 catenin (p120), regulates cadherin stability and turnover, impacting cell adhesiveness and migratory capacity. Consequently, p120 is associated with the invasiveness and progression of various human epithelial tumor types, including Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas (OSCC). The present study aimed to assess and establish a correlation between the expression of p120 antibody in OSCC and Apparently Normal Mucosa Adjacent to OSCC (ANMAOSCC). Material and Methods: The immunoexpression of p120 in 300 selected cases was categorized into two groups: OSCC (n = 150) and ANMAOSCC (n = 150). Two 4µm-thick tissue sections from the selected blocks were prepared. One section was stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin, while the other underwent immunohistochemical (IHC) staining using anti-p120 catenin antibody (clone No. EP66; Catalog No. PR062; PathnSitu, Wayne, PA, USA). The analysis of p120 immunoexpression included parameters such as intensity, percentage, and the location of staining. Results: In OSCC, over 80% of cases expressed p120, with only 16% exhibiting loss of expression. In ANMAOSCC, all cells maintained p120 expression. In OSCC, p120 was predominantly localized to the membrane and cytoplasm in 76%, while in ANMAOSCC, over 90% showed membrane localization. Regarding positivity, only 19% of OSCC cases reported positivity in >50% of cells, compared to 64.7% in ANMAOSCC. The extent of staining in ANMAOSCC was observed up to the granular layer (45%) and corneal layer (19%). Conclusions: The atypical staining pattern of p120 may indicate a loss of adhesion and could serve as a marker for identifying the malignant potential of ANMAOSCC and the aggressiveness of OSCC. Key words:Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma, P120 Catenin, Cell Adhesion Molecules, Gene Expression Regulation.

Diabetes and prediabetes prevalence among young and middle-aged adults in India, with an analysis of geographic differences: findings from the National Family Health Survey.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to approximate the prevalence of hyperglycemia in India. METHODS: The study was conducted using the Demographic and Health Survey 2015-16 (also known as the National Family Health Survey-4), which surveyed 811,808 individuals using a stratified, multistage, cluster sampling design. This cross-sectional survey recorded socio-demographic and anthropometric data, including blood glucose levels, of adults aged 18 years to 54 years. RESULTS: The final analysis included 718,597 individuals, of whom 49.90% (weighted) were males. The overall prevalence of diabetes was 6.65% and that of prediabetes was 5.57%. A positive association was seen with urban residence, geographic region, sex, age, body mass index, socioeconomic status, and hypertension. Approximately two-thirds of individuals with diabetes lived in urban areas, and about half of the urban population was considered overweight/obese. South India showed a higher prevalence of diabetes (prevalence ratio, 2.01; p<0.001) than northern India. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperglycemia (diabetes and prediabetes) has a high prevalence in India and is a major public health issue. Diabetes is unevenly distributed based on geographic location and urbanization. Prevention, early detection, and treatment strategies should consider this uneven distribution of diabetes.

Importance and Potential of Dentists in Identifying Patients at High Risk of Diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: The study was conducted to assess the utilization of medical and dental services by dental patients at two dental school hospitals and to approximate the number of patients having no known previous diagnosis of type 2 diabetes but are at high risk of acquiring it. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at two dental school hospitals in India. A 20-item questionnaire was administered as interviews among the dental patients aged 35 to 55 years. Data was collected on past dental and medical visits, medical history, family history relevant to diabetes, cardiovascular health, BMI and waist circumference (measured). RESULTS: A total of 413 adult patients (males 61.26%, females 38.74%) participated in the surveys. The mean age was 43.06 years. Results revealed that nearly 50% did not have a medical or a dental visit in the last 1 year, 33% had Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD). Among those who did not have medical visit in last one year 45% had BMI >25 kg, 55% had waist circumference above the normal range and 38% were at high risk of diabetes. CONCLUSION: The high number of patients without a medical visit in the past year or more, as well as the high levels of diabetes risk indicators, affirms the need for dentists to perform chair-side screenings for diabetes. These results suggest the need for additional training among dental students to improve early detection and identification of high-risk patients to minimize potential morbidity due to diabetes.