New Lead in Salivary Diagnostics
The article tells of a new discovery of another type of genetic material in our cells that can be seen under the teaching-microscope. Scientists have found that the DNA of the cells mitochondria can have alterations that are linked to several diseases. These said alterations of the mitochondrial DNA, also called the mtDNA, have been described in many cases of human tumors and in other tissues in association with smoking exposure. The mitochondria happen to be the energy generating part of the structure. Several scientists have discovered in recent years that alterations in mitochondrial DNA occur in several types of tumors. Diseases that are linked to these changes in the mitochondrial DNA include head and neck cancer.
Te article tells that a team of NIDCR grantees and colleagues has come up with a hypothesis that people with oral squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer, may have elevated levels of mitochondrial DNA in their saliva that is seen under the teaching-microscope. They further explain in the article that such elevation in the levels of mitochondrial DNA would be independent of other possible contributing factors. The other factors referred to by the scientists include age and how often one smokes.
In order for the group to test there said hypothesis, the scientist’s evaluated levels of two mitochondrial DNA genes called Cox I and Cox II genes in the saliva of 94 people. Cox I is also called the cytochrome c oxidase I. Cox II is specifically called the cytochrome c oxidase II. In the sstudy, all these people studied had a case of oral squamous cell carcinoma. An oral rinse samples obtained from these 94 patients with primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma were taken for analysis through the use of teaching-microscope. A total of 656 healthy volunteers participated in the study as the control group. . Mitochondrial DNA or nuclear DNA in saliva from the HNSC patients and controls in relationship to smoking exposure, ethanol intake, and tumor stage were examined in the study.
The article tells that in their said study, the researchers found out that Cox I and Cox II levels were on average significantly higher in those with head and neck cancer. They have results that showed that the mean levels of Cox I and Cox II in saliva samples were significantly higher in HNSC patients. Both the Cox I and Cox II of the HNSC patients were significantly higher in comparison with control groups Cox I and Cox II. They have also noted that this difference was independent of other contributory factors. Using their univariate analysis, the scientists have found that smoking; age, HNSC diagnosis, and advanced stage of HNSC were associated with higher level of mtDNA content in saliva. Their multivariate analysis showed a significant and independent association of HNSC diagnosis, age, and smoking with increasing mtDNA or nuclear DNA for Cox I and Cox II. The MtDNA content alteration is associated with HNSC patient’s saliva. These are independent from the patient’s age and smoking exposure and they claim that this may be due to elevation in mtDNA content in primary HNSC. They have found that the MtDNA levels were elevated in primary tumors when compared with matched, pretreatment saliva. A significant correlation was observed in the study results. The authors of the investigation then speculated that in the cancer patients, their primary tumors might shed their own increased levels of mitochondrial DNA into the saliva. This can be clearly seen under the teaching-microscope. Read more on this topic
