Awareness of the Effect of Diabetes on Oral Health among a Population in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

PURPOSE

Diabetes is an ever-growing health issue in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It has several oral health implications and oral health in turn affects diabetes control. The primary objective of this research was to study the awareness of the effect of diabetes on oral health among the general population in the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A closed-ended, validated questionnaire was distributed to 506 randomly selected shopping-mall-goers. Responses were coded and entered into spreadsheet (SPSS, IBM) and frequency distribution of the responses was calculated.

RESULTS

The majority of the respondents were females (62.5%), non-diabetic (80.2%) and reported a positive family history of diabetes (87.9%). Most of them (63.4%) understood the importance of discussing one's diabetes status with the dentist as it affected the treatment plan, and also knew (84.4%) that diabetes affects oral health in some way. A majority also correctly responded to how diabetes affects oral health (66.3%) and to the sequelae of untreated gum disease (87.2%). The majority of the respondents had not received any tips or information regarding the connection between diabetes and oral health.

CONCLUSION

This study reported adequate knowledge of the sample with respect to diabetes-related oral health. An important finding of this study was that the majority of the study participants did not receive information leading to diabetes-related oral health awareness or knowledge from anyone, which implies that health professionals and health media do not play the requisite role in dissemination of this important aspect of public health.

DNA replication licensing factor MCM2, geminin, and Ki67 define proliferative state and are linked with survival in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is still an unabated global killer with little advancement in its survival rate. DNA replication licensing proteins and Aurora kinase A are biomarkers that play important roles in genomic stability. The expression profile of minichromosomal maintenance protein 2 (MCM2), Ki67, geminin, and Aurora-A were linked to clinicopathological and outcome parameters, survival, and DNA content in 125 cases of OSCC. Oral fibroepithelial polyps (OFEP) were controls. The OSCC tumour cells were in a rapidly proliferating state, as assessed by the increased expression profile of MCM2, Ki67, geminin, and Aurora-A and of the geminin/Ki67 ratio, and the decrease of the MCM2/Ki67 ratio, in OSCC compared with OFEP (P < 0.000). There was an association between expression of MCM2, Ki67, and geminin and tumour histologic and invasive front grade (P < 0.05). A total of 82% of the OSCC assessed had aneuploid DNA content, which was associated with increased expression intensity of Aurora-A (P = 0.01). Geminin and the geminin/Ki67 ratio were associated with TNM staging (P < 0.05), and weak expression of MCM2, Ki67, geminin, and Aurora-A were predictive of OSCC survival (P < 0.05). Dysregulation of the origin licensing pathway and the mitotic pathway are important events in OSCC, and the combined analysis of these proteins may contribute to improved treatment decisions.

Abstract 4768: Receptor interacting protein (RIP) and Sirtuin-3 (SIRT3) on opposite sides of anoikis resistance and promotes tumorigenesis

Anoikis-apoptotic cell death triggered by loss of extracellular matrix (ECM) contacts is disregulated in many chronic debilitating and fatal diseases. Regulating crosstalk between anoikis and survival signaling pathways is crucial to regulating tissue processes and mitigating diseases like autoimmune diseases and cancer. Previously, we showed that anoikis activates a CD95/Fas-mediated signaling pathway regulated by receptor-interacting protein (RIP), a kinase that shuttles between Fas-mediated cell death and integrin/FAK-mediated survival pathways in a variety of cell systems. Since sirtuin 3 (SIRT3), an NAD-dependent deacetylase, is known to regulate longevity, cell survival, metabolism, and tumorigenesis, we hypothesized that SIRT3, might engage in crosstalk with Fas/RIP/integrin/FAK survival-death pathways. Specifically, we examined the roles of RIP and SIRT3 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) anoikis resistance and tumorigenesis. Using immunohistochemical staining, immunoblotting, human tissue micro arrays, and overexpression and suppression approaches we examined the roles of RIP and SIRT3 in this context. RIP and SIRT3 have an opposite expression profile in OSCC cells and tissues. Stable suppression of RIP by RIP-targeted shRNA enhances SIRT3 levels, whereas, stable suppression of SIRT3 by SIRT3-targeted shRNA does not impact RIP levels in OSCC cells. Forced expression of RIP in RIP null cells downregulates SIRT3. As OSCC cells become anoikis-resitant they form multicellular aggregates in suspension conditions and their expression of SIRT3 increases as their expression of RIP decreases. Anoikis-resistant cells with high SIRT3 and low RIP levels induce an increased tumor burden and incidence in mice unlike their adherent OSCC cell counterparts, which express low SIRT3 and high RIP levels. OSCC cells with SIRT3 suppression fails to form multicellular aggregates in suspension conditions. Taken together, these data demonstrate that RIP is an upstream negative regulator of SIRT3 in anoikis resistance and anoikis resistance contributes to a more aggressive phenotype in OSCC development and progression (Supported by NIH grant R01DE014429 and NIH grant 2R56DE014429 to YLK).

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4768. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4768

Characterization of Treponema denticola pyrF encoding orotidine-5'-monophosphate decarboxylase

The Treponema denticola ATCC 35405 genome annotation contains most of the genes for de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis. To initiate characterization of pyrimidine synthesis in Treponema, we focused on TDE2110 (the putative pyrF, encoding orotidine-5'-monophosphate decarboxlyase). Unlike the parent strain, an isogenic pyrF mutant was resistant to 5-fluoroorotic acid. In complex medium, growth of the pyrF mutant was independent of added uracil, indicating activity of a uracil uptake/salvage pathway. Transcription of pyrF was greatly reduced in T. denticola grown in excess uracil, demonstrating that de novo pyrimidine synthesis is regulated and suggesting a feedback mechanism. Treponema denticola PyrF complemented uracil auxotrophy in an Escherichia coli pyrF mutant. This study provides biochemical confirmation of T. denticola genome predictions of de novo and salvage pyrimidine pathways and provides proof of concept that pyrF has potential as a selectable marker in T. denticola.