A review on role of essential trace elements in health and disease

Elements are present in different forms in the nature, and these elements are very essential for the body to perform different functions. Trace elements are very important for cell functions at biological, chemical and molecular levels. These elements mediate vital biochemical reactions by acting as cofactors for many enzymes, as well as act as centers for stabilizing structures of enzymes and proteins. Some of the trace elements control important biological processes by binding to molecules on the receptor site of cell membrane or by alternating the structure of membrane to prevent entry of specific molecules into the cell. The functions of trace elements have a dual role. In normal levels, they are important for stabilization of the cellular structures, but in deficiency states may stimulate alternate pathways and cause diseases. These trace elements have clinical significance and these can be estimated using different analytical method

Histomorphometric analysis of vascularity in oral epithelial dysplasia

Context: Potentially malignant disorders such as leukoplakia and erythroplakia are often associated with dysplastic changes that have an increased risk for malignant transformation. Vascularity could have a role in the transformation of potentially malignant disorders to oral squamous cell carcinoma. Aims: The present study was aimed to assess the mean vessel area (MVA) of the blood capillaries in different grades of epithelial dysplasia by histomorphometric analysis, which could aid in predicting the malignant transforming potential as well as prognosis of potentially malignant disorders. Materials and Methods: The study consisted of 30 histologically proven epithelial dysplasia cases categorized into three groups of mild, moderate, and severe epithelial dysplasia based on the World Health Organization (WHO) 2005 criteria. Paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 3-4 microns were stained with Masson′s trichrome. Morphometric analysis of MVA was done using image analysis software 6.0. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical analysis was done using the software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 20.0. The mean and standard deviation of the three groups were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. Pairwise comparison was done using Mann-Whitney U test. P value <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: The MVA was highest in severe epithelial dysplasia (7575.16) followed by moderate (4070.4) and mild (4014.29) epithelial dysplasias. A high statistical significance was observed on comparison of the three groups (P 0.0004). On pairwise comparison, a statistical significance was observed between mild and severe epithelial dysplasias (P 0.0032) and moderate and severe epithelial dysplasias (P 0.0002). Conclusions: The MVA was increased as the grade of dysplasia progressed. This suggests that altered vascularity could play a role in the progression and malignant potential of dysplastic lesions and also in assessing the prognosis

A study on isolation, identification, and antifungal susceptibility of various oral candidal species in renal transplant patients

Background: The rationale of this study was to know the prevalence of candidal colonization in renal transplant individuals and to isolate and identify the various species and determine their antifungal susceptibility. Materials and Methods: The study population was divided into Group I (renal transplant individuals, n =30) and Group II (healthy individuals, n =50) from whom oral rinse samples were collected in a container with sterile phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). All the collected samples were transported immediately and subjected to various mycological investigations. Statistical analysis was performed using Mann–Whitney U and Chi-square test. Results: In Group I, 11 (36.67%) and in Group II, 9 (18%) showed positivity for Candida. Candida albicans formed the major species and it showed sensitivity to Fluconazole and Ketoconazole. Conclusion: Prevalence of Candida species in the oral cavity of renal transplant recipients was higher than in immunocompetent control subjects. Administration of immunosuppressive drugs predisposes the development of an increased density of candidal colonies