Assessment of vitamin D levels in patients with oral potentially malignant disorders and oral squamous cell carcinoma-A cross-sectional study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess and compare the serum and salivary levels of Vitamin D in patients with oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) and Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) with healthy controls. Method: This cross-sectional study was carried out among 60 patients reporting to the department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, and included patients with OPMDs, OSCC and healthy controls. The Vitamin D levels were estimated using the chemiluminescence immunoassay. One-way ANOVA was used to compare mean and statistical difference between the groups. Tukey's post HOC test calculated for inter group difference. Serum and salivary Vitamin D levels were corelated with Pearson's coefficient. The values of p < 0.005 was considered as significant. Results: The levels of Vitamin D were decreased in study group as compared to controls both in serum and saliva. (p < 0.001). Between serum and salivary Vitamin D levels, a strong association was discovered using the Pearson's coefficient value of 0.737 (p < 0.001). Conclusion: In this study, patients with both OPMDs and OSCC had Vitamin D insufficiency & deficiency. Vitamin D level assessment should be included as a standard component of routine investigations for these individuals.

Bioinformatics analysis of miRNA and its associated genes to identify potential biomarkers of oral submucous fibrosis and oral malignancy.

BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs are a group of non-coding RNA that controls the gene expression. The interaction between miRNA and mRNA is thought to be dynamic. Oral cancer "The cancer of mouth" is quite prevailing in developing countries. miRNA has been found associated with oral cancer targeting tumor growth, cell proliferation, metastasis, invasion. The significant association of miRNA with genes could be used as a remarkable tool for diagnosis as well as prognostic analysis of oral cancer. AIM: The aim of the present study is to evaluate common upregulated and downregulated miRNAs in oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) and oral malignancy (OM) patients that can be used as diagnostic biomarkers, and to find out their interactions with target genes to establish associated networks in cancer pathways. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using miRDeep2 and DESeq analysis, the upregulated and downregulated miRNA in OSMF (Oral Submucous Fibrosis) and OM (Oral Malignancies) samples were compared to GEO (Gene Expression Omnibus) control dataset. There were 50 common downregulated miRNAs and 13 common upregulated miRNAs in OSMF and OM samples. miRNet analysis of common upregulated miRNA and common downregulated miRNA identified 1295 and 5954 genes, respectively connected with cancer pathways. From analysis of Hub genes, HRAS, STAT3, TP53, MYC, PTEN, CTNNB1, CCND1, JUN, VEGFA, KRAS were found associated with downregulated miRNA and VEGFA, TP53, MDM2, PTEN, MYC, ERBB2, CDKN1A, HSP90AA1, CCND1, AKTI were found associated with upregulated miRNA. The gene enrichment analysis of these hub genes were associated with cell communication, metabolic process, cell proliferation, and cellular component organization. Hub Genes linked with upregulated miRNA had an enrichment ratio of 11.828, whereas hub genes linked with downregulated miRNA had an enrichment ratio of 45.912. CONCLUSION: We identified common deregulated miRNAs between OSMF and OM patients, which were further analyzed to find out associations with the genes correlated to cancer pathways. The hub genes identified in this study were found to have a significant impact on tumor growth and carcinogenesis. Also, the enrichment of these genes has revealed that the genes are associated with cellular communication, metabolic processes and various biological regulation. These deregulated miRNAs can be used to make a panel of biomarkers to diagnose oral cancer from blood even before its onset.

Age estimation in Western Indian population by Cameriere's and Drusini's methods.

Objectives: The aim of the present study is to determine applicability of Cameriere's and Drusini's methods in Western Indian population. Methodology: Panoramic radiographs of total 300 Gujarati individuals, equally divided into four study groups were studied by two investigators. The pulp/tooth area ratio (AR) were calculated for maxillary and mandibular canines and tooth coronal indexes (TCI) i.e., the ratio between coronal pulp cavity height and crown height were calculated for mandibular premolars and first and second molars. The acquired data were subjected to correlation and regression analysis and also inter and intraobserver reliability was obtained for both the investigators. Results: The ARs and TCIs for all the respective teeth were significantly correlated with the age of the individuals. The individual regression formulae were derived for all the teeth and were then used separately to calculate the age. There was no statistically significant difference between the mean chronological age and mean calculated age for all the teeth.(P > 0.05). The mean absolute errors for all the teeth were <10 years. Conclusion: The findings of this study prove the applicability of Cameriere's and Drusini's age estimation methods for Western Indian population. However, the weak correlation coefficients suggest the need for further studies to get more accurate results.

Insight in to the Awareness of CBCT as an Imaging Modality in the Diagnosis and Management of ENT Disorders: A Cross Sectional Study.

The advent of Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), has revolutionized 3D imaging in dentistry. CBCT has enormous potential to be used as an alternative imaging modality by Otolaryngologists. But their knowledge regarding CBCT is limited. The study aims to evaluate the awareness of CBCT as an imaging modality among Ear, nose and Throat (ENT) practitioners. The validated questionnaire was sent by email and the participants were asked to fill the google form through the link provided to record the responses. The participants were asked to answer 25 multiple choice questions regarding the general information and practice related to CBCT imaging. Data was evaluated according to the descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test was used to determine the test of significance. The response rate for this study was 84.4%. The mean age of the participants was 44.9 ± 11.3. 69% of the respondents were academicians,14.2% had exclusive clinical practice, and 16.8% had both clinical and academic exposure. Among the study population, 76.8% had never advised CBCT in their practice. Only 10.3% of the study participants were aware of the potential of CBCT in ENT disorders. The mean knowledge, attitude and practice scores were very low regarding the applications of CBCT. Most of the study participants advised CBCT for maxillofacial fractures (78.1%) and was statistically significant p < 0.05. The knowledge about various advantages and clinical applications of CBCT among Otolaryngologists is limited. However, continuing medical education and inclusion in the medical curriculum will increase the scope and awareness about CBCT among ENT fraternity.

Comparative evaluation of effectiveness of autologous platelet rich plasma and intralesional corticosteroids in the management of erosive oral Lichen planus- a clinical study.

PURPOSE: Oral Lichen planus is a potentially malignant autoimmune disorder, characterized by burning and pain in the affected mucosa which reduces the quality and comfort of patient's life. Various treatment modalities have been documented for OLP but due its malignant potential the alternative therapeutic approaches with least or no side effects are being in demand. One of such, yet unexplored treatment is Platelet rich plasma (PRP). This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of intralesional PRP as compared to the Intralesional corticosteroids in the management of erosive OLP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study sample consisted of 20 clinically and histopathologically confirmed patients of Erosive OLP among which 10 patients were given intralesional corticosteroids and 10 patients were administered intralesional PRP. All the patients were given weekly injections for 2 months and were followed up till 4 months for assessing the parameters such as pain/burning, erythema and size of the lesions. RESULTS: The patients in both the groups showed a statistically significant reduction in all the assessed parameters of erosive lichen planus from baseline till 4 months of treatment and follow up. However, on comparison of the pain reduction, size of lesion and erythema scores between the two groups, the difference was found to be statistically insignificant. CONCLUSION: The intralesional PRP was found to be of comparative effectiveness with respect to intralesional triamcinolone acetonide in the management of erosive OLP and with an added advantage of having less recurrence and no adverse effects.

Medicinal management of oral submucous fibrosis in the past decade- A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a potentially malignant disorder with a high rate of malignant transformation. It is associated with chewing of areca nut and tobacco products with a high global prevalence, particularly in the southeast Asian countries. A wide range of treatment modalities are available, ranging from corticosteroids, antioxidants, nutritional supplements to herbal medicines but lacks a reliable treatment regimen. AIM: This systematic review will comprehensively analyze the medicinal treatment for OSMF from 2011 to 2020, apprise the literature with new clinical studies, and initiate a discussion about other potential medicines. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A comprehensive electronic search was conducted in Pubmed, Scopus, and other databases from January 2011 to June 2020 according to the PRISMA guidelines, to identify all the clinical studies for the medicinal management of OSMF with definite keywords and defined criteria. RESULTS: Among the thirty-two included clinical studies 23 were randomized controlled studies and 9 were case-control studies. The treatment outcomes were diverse, and the majority of the studies showed improvement in the subjective signs and symptoms of OSMF. Only a few studies noticed the side effects. CONCLUSION: No single treatment modality is effective in the management of OSMF. The concurrent use of triple therapy is efficacious. The naturally occurring herbal medicines have an immense potential in the management of OSMF. Therefore, high-quality, longitudinal, multi-center randomized controlled trials with larger samples need to be conducted to further assess the efficacy of various medicinal formulations in conjunction with physiotherapy in the management of OSMF.

Causal inference and directed acyclic graph: An epidemiological concept much needed for oral submucous fibrosis.

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF), although already established as an oral potentially malignant disorder (OPMD), still stands over a weak bridge because of its controversial pathogenesis. There has been tremendous work on this disease since 1962, surprisingly, we are unsuccessful in finding the exact causation of OSMF. The potential cause for this is either a lack of systematically performed clinical observational studies or over-interpreted inferences of the presented results. Accordingly, the literature is piled with complex data that is being followed by emerging researchers. Hence, this conceptual paper is presented to focus and explain only the epidemiological concepts of causal inference and the construction of DAGs. These concepts will help to encode our subject matter knowledge and assumptions regarding the causal structure problem, classify the source of systematic bias, identify the potential confounders, potential issues in the study design, and guide the data analysis.

Reasons for Initiation of Areca Nut and Related Products in Patients with Oral Submucous Fibrosis within an Endemic Area in Gujarat, India.

Background: While the patterns of consumption of areca nut and its by-products (ANBP) vary across South Asia and the rest of the world, all users share the probable severe outcome of oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF), and this is well reported. The role of psychosocial drivers of habit initiation and addiction is reported less. Objective: To reveal the burden of ANBP abuse, exploring the psychosocial relationship between sex, age at first exposure (AFE), the reason for initiation (RFI) with the type of habit (TOH). Methodology: Data came from the prospective hospital-based study conducted at K.M. Shah Dental College and Hospital covering years 2017 and 2018. Patients with oral lesions were assessed with complete history recording demographics, TOH, AFE, RFI, duration of habit, and clinical diagnosis of any oral and systemic diseases. Patients with a history of scleroderma, facial burns, and oral malignancy were excluded. Results: Of the 13,874 patients, 9.89% reported ANBP. We included 1000 OSMF patients. The mean age of the study cohort was 38.97 ± 14.29 years, with a range of 17-75 years. Males constituted the majority (80.1%). The most common TOH reported was regular use of gutkha (60.1%) followed by mawa (31.4%) with tension and stress (30.3%) being the most common RFI among the cohort. TOH was notably different in relation to AFE. Interestingly, mawa chewing (38.69%) was observed more in females. Importance: This study reveals the burden of ANBP abuse and reports the complex psychosocial relationships between sex, AFE, and RFI with TOH in OSMF patients in this high incidence population.

Age- and sex-related mandibular dimensional changes: A radiomorphometric analysis on panoramic radiographs.

INTRODUCTION: Mandible undergoes age- and sex-related structural changes similar to other bones of the body. Thus, morphometric analysis of the mandible helps in age and sex determination. AIM: To investigate the influence of age and sex on the mandible by measuring three parameters, i.e. gonial angle, ramus height and bigonial width. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective radiomorphometric analysis was conducted in the department of Oral Medicine and Radiology. A total of 300 panoramic radiographs (150 males and 150 females) equally distributed in six study groups according to the age were analysed. The measurements were performed using DIGORA 2.8 software for Windows. The acquired data was statistically analysed by one way ANOVA test and Student's t-test using SPSS (v. 19.0). RESULTS: Statistically significant differences according to age were found in gonial angle dimensions. Ramus height and bigonial width did not demonstrate statistically significant co-relation with age. According to sex, all the three study parameters showed statistically highly significant differences. CONCLUSION: The morphometric analysis of the mandible is a useful tool for age estimation and sex determination.

Oral submucous fibrosis: a contemporary narrative review with a proposed inter-professional approach for an early diagnosis and clinical management.

Oral Submucous fibrosis (OSMF) has traditionally been described as "a chronic, insidious, scarring disease of the oral cavity, often with involvement of the pharynx and the upper esophagus". Millions of individuals are affected, especially in South and South East Asian countries. The main risk factor is areca nut chewing. Due to its high morbidity and high malignant transformation rate, constant efforts have been made to develop effective management. Despite this, there have been no significant improvements in prognosis for decades. This expert opinion paper updates the literature and provides a critique of diagnostic and therapeutic pitfalls common in developing countries and of deficiencies in management. An inter-professional model is proposed to avoid these pitfalls and to reduce these deficiencies.

Proposed clinical definition for oral submucous fibrosis.

Oral Submucous Fibrosis (OSMF) is an insidious, chronic, complex, crippling, debilitating, irreversible, progressive, scarring, potentially malignant and collagen metabolic disorder, induced by a known carcinogen areca nut; wherein the oral mucosa, and occasionally the pharynx and esophagus is subjected to various pathological changes with significant clinical manifestations at different stages of progression, leading to functional morbidity; and with a risk of malignant transformation in the overlying epithelium. Although the condition is mainly diagnosed based on classic clinical manifestations, the commonly used existing definition for oral submucous fibrosis is primarily based on histological features. The authors have conducted extensive clinical research studies on OSMF and intends to propose a new clinical definition as 'a debilitating, progressive, irreversible collagen metabolic disorder induced by chronic chewing of areca nut and its commercial preparations; affecting the oral mucosa and occasionally the pharynx and esophagus; leading to mucosal stiffness and functional morbidity; and has a potential risk of malignant transformation.' Thus, a new clinical definition is put forward so as to assist the academicians, researchers and clinicians in terming and grouping this disease according to its clinical and biological behaviour for its subsequent management.

Sex determination from tooth pulp deoxyribonucleic acid using polymerase chain reaction.

INTRODUCTION: In this fast era of numerous unwanted disasters and because of the severely devastated and degenerated body remains, personal identification of unknown remains has become the most difficult and challenging task. In such instances, dental pulp plays a vital role in identification through deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). AIM: The aim of the study is to determine sex from tooth pulp tissues by DNA analysis using polymerase chain reaction amplification method under different environmental conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The human extracted teeth were exposed to different conditions such as heat, soil, and open environment. The DNA was extracted from all these teeth including freshly extracted teeth, then quantified, and further amplified with male and female primers. RESULTS: Quantity of DNA content achieved ranged from 5.21 to 62.87 ng/µl. The accuracy in determining sex from pulp DNA ranged from 92% to 100% in the study groups, except from the teeth exposed to uncontrolled heat, as the pulp tissue was burnt completely. The intergroup analysis was statistically highly significant (P < 0.001). Gender determination using the quantity of DNA was found to be nonsignificant (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The dental pulp is the reliable source for sex determination in the humid or dry environment compared to uncontrolled heat.

Estimation of Serum Protein in Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders and Oral Malignancy - A Cross-Sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: In carcinogenesis, increased oxidative stress and weakened antioxidant defense produces damage to the macromolecules like proteins. Thus, protein can act as potential biomarker in oral premalignant and malignant lesions. AIM: To determine and compare the levels of serum proteins in Oral Submucuous Fibrosis (OSMF), Oral Leukoplakia (OL), Nicotina Stomatitis (NS), Oral Malignancy (OM) and Healthy Controls (HC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 250 participants, were equally divided in five groups i.e., OSMF, OL, NS, OM and HC. Five ml of blood was collected from antecubital vein from each participant. The serum was analyzed for total protein, albumin and globulin levels using EBRA EM 200 semi-quantitive analyzer with the help of diagnostic kits. RESULTS: There were total 193 males and 57 females, who were between 18 to 82 years of age, with a mean of 46.32±13.89 years. The serum protein and globulin levels were significantly decreased in OSMF, OL and NS and increased in OM as compared to HC (p<0.001). No statistically significant difference was found in serum albumin levels between the study groups (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Serum proteins can be used as diagnostic and prognostic marker for oral premalignant and malignant lesions.

Intraosseous calcifying epithelial odontogenic (Pindborg) tumor: A rare entity.

Calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor (CEOT) is a locally aggressive, rare benign odontogenic neoplasm that accounts for <1% of all odontogenic tumors. It was first described by a Dutch pathologist Jens Jorgen Pindborg in 1955. It is most often located in the posterior mandible. The tumor usually appears between the second and sixth decade of life and has no gender predilection. It is slow-growing neoplasm with a recurrence rate of 10-15% and with rare malignant transformation. Early diagnosis is essential to avoid oro-maxillofacial deformation and destruction. CEOT is rarely reported in India. We, herewith present a rare case of CEOT with unusual features associated with an impacted right third molar in the posterior mandible of 35 years male, with an emphasis on clinical, radiographic, histopathology and immunohistochemical features.

Oral mucocele: A clinical and histopathological study.

BACKGROUND: Oral mucocele is the most common benign minor (accessory) salivary gland lesion, caused due to mechanical trauma to the excretory duct of the gland. Clinically they are characterized by single or multiple, soft, fluctuant nodule, ranging from the normal color of the oral mucosa to deep blue. It affects at any age and is equally present in both sexes with highest incidence in second decade of life. They are classified as extravasation or retention type. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the data between 2010 and 2011 of, clinically and histopathologically diagnosed 58 oral mucoceles for age, gender, type, site, color, cause, symptoms and dimension. RESULTS: Oral mucoceles were highly prevalent in the age group of 15-24 years, were seen in 51.72% of males and 48.28% of females, with a ratio of 1.07:1. The extravasation type (84.48%) was more common than the retention type (15.52%). The most common affected site was lower lip (36.20%) followed by ventral surface of the tongue (25.86%). The lowest frequency was observed in floor of mouth, upper lip and palate. The maximum numbers of mucoceles were asymptomatic (58.62%), and the color of the overlying mucosa had color of adjacent normal mucosa (48.28%). It was also observed that most of the mucoceles had diameter ranging from 5 to 14 mm. The causative factors of the lesion were lip biting (22.41%), trauma (5.18%) and numerous lesions (72.41%). CONCLUSION: Oral Mucoceles are frequently seen in an oral medicine service, mainly affecting young people and lower lip, measuring around 5 to 14 mm and the extravasation type being the most common.

Hereditary ectodermal dysplasia: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Ectodermal dysplasia (ED) is a group of rare, inherited disorders characterized by sparse hair, missing teeth and inability to sweat. OBJECTIVE: To review and analyze cases of ED with an emphasis on clinical manifestations and parent's marriage history. METHODOLOGY: The present retrospective study was conducted by assessing the clinical records of nineteen cases of ED, available in the archives of the department; for age, gender, family history of consanguineous marriage and clinical manifestations. RESULTS: It was observed that ED was more prevalent in males, with a ratio of 1.7:1. The hypohydrotic type was more common (78.95%) than hydrotic type (21.05%). The marriage history of parents revealed that 66.67% had consanguineous marriage and had 68.42% offspring's affected with ED; whereas 33.33% had history of non-consanguineous marriage and had 31.58% offspring's affected with ED. The clinical manifestations observed were- dry skin(94.74%); scaly skin(42.11%); sparse hair on scalp, eyebrows and eyelashes(100%); frontal bossing(63.18%); saddle nose (57.89%); hypertelorism (47.37%); nail abnormality(52.63%); normal sweat glands(21.05%); abnormal sweat glands(78.95%); hypoplastic maxilla(52.63%); protuberant lips (57.89%); palmo-plantar keratosis(21.05%); wrinkled & hyper pigmented facial skin(84.21%); partial anodontia(94.74%); conical shaped teeth(84.21%); high arched palate(68.42%); thin alveolar bone(100.00%); taurodontism(21.05%) and cleft lip & cleft palate(05.26%). The number of teeth present in all the cases ranged from 0 to 19. CONCLUSION: ED patients suffer from social problems and poor psychological and physiological development as a result of unacceptable esthetics and abnormal function of orofacial structures. Oral rehabilitation thus becomes mandatory, although it is often difficult; particularly in pediatric patients.

Mandibular adenomatoid odontogenic tumor: Radiographic and pathologic correlation.

Adenomatoid odontogenic tumor (AOT) is a rare tumor of epithelial origin comprising 3% of all the odontogenic tumors. It is a benign, painless, noninvasive, and slow-growing lesion, with a relative frequency of 2.2-13% and often misdiagnosed as an odontogenic cyst on clinical examination. AOT affects young individuals with a female predominance, occurs mainly in the second decade, and usually surrounds the crown of unerupted teeth. This lesion is most commonly located in the anterior maxilla and rarely in the mandible. It is usually associated with an impacted canine. AOT frequently resembles lesions like dentigerous cyst or ameloblastoma. AOT has three variants, follicular, extrafollicular, and peripheral. The intraoral periapical radiograph is the best radiograph to show radiopacities in AOT as discrete foci having a flocculent pattern within radiolucency even with minimal calcified deposits. These calcified deposits are seen in approximately 78% of the lesions. Herewith, we present the report of four unusual cases of AOT located in the mandible, with an emphasis on radiographic findings and on pathologic correlation, and on reviewing the existing literature on this tumor.

Osteochondroma of mandibular condyle: A clinic-radiographic correlation.

Osteochondroma (OC) of temporo mandibular joint is a rare, slow growing, benign tumor that causes a progressive enlargement of the condyle, usually resulting in facial asymmetry, temporo mandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction, limited mouth opening and malocclusion. Pain is rarely associated with this tumor. OC is composed of cartilaginous and osseous tissues. Radiographically, there is unilaterally enlarged condyle usually with an exophytic outgrowth of the tumor from the condylar head. We present a rare case of osteochondroma of right mandibular condyle in a 45-year-old male who reported with painless swelling over TMJ area and progressive limited mouth opening. Panoramic radiograph and computed tomography (CT) was performed for better evaluation of the pathological condition. This paper describes the clinico-radiographic features and differential diagnosis of OC.

Van der Woude syndrome: report of two cases with supplementary findings.

Van der Woude syndrome (VWS) is a rare developmental disorder with an autosomal dominant inheritance and variable expressivity, occurring in about 1 of every 1,00,000-2,00,000 people. This syndrome is remarkably variable. It is characterized by orofacial manifestations like lower lip pits, cleft lip and/or cleft palate, hypodontia, cleft or bifid uvula, syngnathia, narrow high arched palate, ankyloglossia and hyper nasal voice. We report two interesting cases of VWS with characteristic orofacial features and an unusual additional finding of bilateral commissural pits. The purpose of this article is to facilitate understanding of etio-pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, role of genetic counseling and with special emphasis on commissural pits as an additional feature in VWS.

Florid cement-osseous dysplasia of maxilla and mandible: a rare clinical case

Cemento-osseous dysplasia is a group of disorders known to originate from periodontal ligament tissues. Florid cemento-osseous dysplasia clearly appears to be a form of bone and/or cementoid tissues restricted to jaw bones. This lesion is usually asymptomatic and is incidentally detected during routine radiographic examination. The diagnosis is made by clinical and radiographic examinations, and biopsy is not necessary. The patient must manifest the typical changes in atleast two quadrants. An asymptomatic individual requires only a periodic follow-up to ensure that there is no change in the disease behavior. Surgical management is indicated only for a progressive lesion that produces orofacial disfigurement. This paper presents a rare case of a 60-year-oldfemale who was clinically and radiographically diagnosed as having florid cemento-osseous dysplasia in the maxilla and mandible. Discussion is presented with emphasis on clinical and radiographic manifestations.