Telomere attrition and telomerase activity are associated with GSTM1 polymorphism in oral cancer.

Telomere attrition is an important event during tumorigenesis regulated by factors including oxidative stress, mitochondrial function, DNA adducts etc. Critically short telomeres act as signal for telomerase activity in the cancer cells. To determine whether null genotype of GSTM1 gene has any association with telomere length shortening and telomerase activity, we analyzed telomere length, telomerase activity and GSTM1 polymorphism in oral tissues.

Recombinant surfactant protein-D selectively increases apoptosis in eosinophils of allergic asthmatics and enhances uptake of apoptotic eosinophils by macrophages.

Pulmonary surfactant protein-D (SP-D) is a multifunctional, pattern recognition molecule involved in resistance to allergen challenge and pulmonary inflammation. In view of therapeutic effects of exogenous SP-D or recombinant fragment of human surfactant protein-D (rhSP-D) (composed of eight Gly-X-Y collagen repeat sequences, homotrimeric neck and lectin domains) in murine models of lung allergy and hypereosinophilic SP-D gene-deficient mice, we investigated the possibility of a direct interaction of purified rhSP-D with human eosinophils derived from allergic patients and healthy donors. rhSP-D showed a sugar- and calcium-dependent binding to human eosinophils, suggesting involvement of its carbohydrate recognition domain.

Serum fucosylation changes in oral cancer and oral precancerous conditions: alpha-L-fucosidase as a marker.

Background: The objective of the current study was to investigate the clinical usefulness of serum fucose, fucosylated glycoproteins (fucoproteins), fucosyltransferase (FucT), and alpha-L-fucosidase in oral carcinoma.

Methods: Blood samples were collected from 130 patients with untreated oral cancer (OC), from 75 patients with oral precancerous conditions (OPC), and from 100 healthy controls. Cancer patients were followed after the initiation of anticancer treatments, and 75 follow-up samples were also collected.

Tissue and serum alpha 2-3- and alpha 2-6-linkage specific sialylation changes in oral carcinogenesis.

Increased sialylation of cell surface glycoconjugates is among the key molecular changes associated with malignant transformation and cancer progression. We investigated significance of linkage-specific sialylation changes in oral carcinogenesis. Tissue and serum levels of total sialic acid (TSA), linkage-specific sialyltransferases (ST) and sialoproteins were analyzed from patients with oral precancerous conditions (OPC) and oral cancer as well as the post-treatment follow-up blood samples of oral cancer patients.

Clinical significance of telomere length and associated proteins in oral cancer.

Purpose: Telomere shortening is an important event during carcinogenesis. Although studies suggest role of multiple proteins in telomere length regulation, there is dearth of reports in oral cancer which is a leading malignancy in Asian countries especially in India. Thus the present study was carried out to study these mechanisms and explore the pathways involved in telomere-telomerase regulation and identify possible prognostic markers to understand the biology of oral tumors for better treatment approaches.

Clinical significance of serum p53 antibodies in oral cancer.

Aim And Background: The incidence and mortality due to oral cancer have increased worldwide. In India, the use of tobacco has been found to be the major etiological factor for the development of oral cancers. Various studies on serum p53 antibodies have suggested their clinical importance as prognostic markers in cancer.

A review of proteomics in cancer research.

The most functional compartment encoded by the genome is proteome. Therefore study of proteome i.e.