RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Gonadotropins have been extensively studied in trophoblastic and nontrophoblastic tumors of breast, gastric, bladder, parathyroid, renal cell and cervical carcinomas, with a significant increase in tissue expressions. Serum levels of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (ß-hCG) and its tissue expression were found more in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients with a significant diagnostic and prognostic value. No such study has been done on oral epithelial dysplasia (OED). AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the expression of ß-hCG in OED and the feasibility of using this marker for early diagnosis and to see its progression from normal to dysplasia to malignancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population consisted of thirty histologically confirmed cases of OED and thirty cases of OSCC. Fifteen normal tissues were also included in the study. All the tissue samples were subjected to immunohistochemical (IHC) staining using antimouse ß-hCG antibody. RESULTS: The IHC expression of ß-hCG was completely negative in normal cases (Group 1 [n = 15]), whereas 13 (43.3%) cases of OED (Group 2 [n = 30]) and 13 cases (43.3%) of OSCC (Group 3 [n = 30]) showed diffuse cytoplasmic staining in dysplastic surface epithelium and epithelial islands of OSCC. This difference was statistically significant with P = 0.007. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the expression of ß-hCG increased from normal mucosa to dysplasia to OSCC, suggesting that it is involved in the early stage of carcinogenesis and progression of the disease.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing radiation therapy for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) have an increased risk of developing oral candidiasis. Radiation-induced hyposalivation is thought to be a major predisposing factor for it. Radiation therapy for 2-3 weeks leads to increase in the number of candidal species in the oral cavity, eventually leading to oral candidiasis. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and correlate the prevalence of candidal species in the oral cavity of OSCC patients and to compare with radiation dosage at 3rd and 6th week following radiotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study includes fifty patients undergoing radiation therapy for OSCC. Patients were examined at 3rd and 6th week following radiation therapy, and smear samples were obtained from lesional sites and the radiation dose was recorded. Smear samples were cultured on CHROMagar, and identification of various candidal species was done on the basis of colony color and their morphology. RESULTS: The present study isolated four types of candidal species, namely, Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida tropicalis and Candida krusei. All the organisms, except C. krusei, showed a significant increase from 3rd to 6th week of radiotherapy whereas C. glabrata and C. tropicalis showed a sudden exponential increase. Total radiation dosage did not show any correlation to candidal colonization at 3rd and 6th week following radiotherapy. CONCLUSION: OSCC patients undergoing radiotherapy show an increase in candidal colonization which is independent of radiation dosage and may be related to other factors. However, such findings should be further evaluated using a larger sample size.
