Effect of radiotherapy on phagocytosis percentage and index in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Phagocytosis plays an important role in the fundamental process of immunity and maintains systemic tissue homeostasis. Phagocytosis function is assessed in radiotherapy to signify the prognosis of patient. Therefore, we designed a study to assess and compare the phagocytosis percentage and phagocytic index of the leucocytes in patients with oral cancer before and after radiotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 60 subjects of both genders, between 50 and 75 years old, were included in the study. The subjects were categorized into three groups: group I: oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients before radiotherapy (n = 20), group II: OSCC patients after radiotherapy (n = 20), and group III: control (n = 20). Further, 2-mL blood samples were collected from the patients during the 1st day before radiotherapy and at the end of radiotherapy. The obtained samples were centrifuged, separated leucocytes were incubated with C. albicans, and smears were made to determine the phagocytosis percentage and phagocytic index. The obtained values were tabulated and statistically analyzed. P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: Phagocytosis percentage and phagocytic index of OSCC patients before radiotherapy, OSCC patients after radiotherapy, and in the control group and the difference was found to be statistically highly significant (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Phagocytosis function can be determined by assessing the phagocytic index and percentage to know the effect of radiotherapy-induced systemic immune suppression and predict the prognosis of OSCC patients after radiotherapy.

Estimation of salivary lactate dehydrogenase in oral squamous cell carcinoma, oral leukoplakia, and smokers.

Introduction: Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is an enzyme seen within every cell during their normal metabolic function. It is always confined within the cell cytoplasm and it becomes extracellular only when a cell dies. The extracellular presence of LDH is related to cell necrosis and tissue breakdown. Therefore, we designed a study to estimate and compare LDH levels in the saliva of patients with oral cancer, oral leukoplakia (OL), and smokers without lesions and in controls. Materials and Methods: A total of 81 subjects of both genders, between the ages of 20 and 70 years, were included in the study. The study group was divided into four: group I-controls (n = 20), Group II-smokers (n = 20), Group III-subjects with OL (n = 20), and Group IV-subjects with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) (n = 21). Five milliliters of unstimulated salivary sample was collected from each participant, and salivary LDH level was measured. The obtained values were tabulated and statistically analyzed. P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: The difference in LDH levels among the four groups was found to "BE" statistically significant. LDH values showed a marked increase in the leukoplakia group (49.79 ± 19.88 IU/L) and OSCC group (106.97 ± 32.75 IU/L) when compared to controls and smokers. Conclusion: We found that salivary LDH was increased in patients with leukoplakia and OSCC. Smoking alone did not produce any alterations in salivary LDH. It is possible that salivary LDH could be a potential biomarker to identify early premalignant or malignant changes in smokers.

Evaluation of Micronuclei and Cytomorphometric Changes in Patients with Different Tobacco Related Habits Using Exfoliated Buccal Cells.

BACKGROUND: Tobacco is one of the main reasons behind the occurrence of oral cancer. Oral cancer, even though being the tenth most common cancer in the world, gets diagnosed at an advanced stage and ends up with poor prognosis. So early diagnosis is the need of the hour. Our study aimed to evaluate the genotoxic changes in patients with different tobacco habits using buccal exfoliated cells. METHODS: Buccal smears were taken from smokers (30), smokeless tobacco users (30), combined tobacco users (30) and controls (30) with clinically normal oral mucosa. All the smears were stained with Papanicolaou stain and Feulgen stain and viewed under light microscope for the evaluation of mean number of micronuclei, mean micronuclei per cell, frequency of cells showing micronuclei, nuclear area, cytoplasmic area, nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio. RESULTS: Mean number of micronuclei, mean micronuclei per cell, frequency of cells showing micronuclei, and nuclear area were significantly increased in tobacco users than controls, especially in combined tobacco users. Nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio was increased and cytoplasmic area was decreased in tobacco users than controls. CONCLUSION: Tobacco in any consumable form is genotoxic. Smoking and smokeless tobacco, when consumed together, synergistically causes higher genetic damage. Different tobacco habits have different deleterious effects on oral mucosa, and these effects are more pronounced when the patients have combined habits. So, detecting the genotoxic changes through exfoliative cytology can be used as a simple yet reliable marker for early detection of carcinogenesis.
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Effect of Inhalational Therapy on Buccal Mucosal Cells in Asthmatic Patients: A Cytological Study.

OBJECTIVE: Inhalational drugs used in treating asthma have several side effects including those on oral tissues. We therefore designed a study to analyze the effects of inhalational drugs on the buccal mucosal cells of the oral cavity. METHODS: Smears were obtained from clinically normal buccal mucosa of 20 randomly selected asthmatic patients who had been under inhalational therapy for at least 6 months. The Papanicolaou-stained smears were then analyzed for average nuclear area, average cytoplasmic area, and average nuclear area:cytoplasmic area ratio for each patient, and the values were compared with those of 10 healthy controls. RESULTS: A statistically significant decrease in cytoplasmic area (P<0.001) was found in asthmatic patients compared to controls. A significant increase in mean nuclear area:cytoplasmic area ratio (P<0.001) was noted in asthmatic patients when compared to controls. CONCLUSION: Prolonged use of inhalational drugs in patients diagnosed with asthma is associated with changes in oral epithelial cells. There is a need to assess whether these are the direct adverse effects of such drugs and whether they have any long-term impact on oral tissues.