Role of Toothbrushes as Gene Expression Profiling Tool for Oral Cancer Screening in Tobacco and Alcohol Users

Govindarajan Sujatha, Vishnu Priya Veeraraghavan, Ahmed Alamoudi, Maha A. Bahammam, Sarah Ahmed Bahammam, Yaser Ali Alhazmi, Hazar S. Alharbi, Khalid J. Alzahrani, Mohammad S. Al-Ghamdi, Fuad M. Alzahrani, Saranya Varadarajan, A. Thirumal Raj and Shankargouda Patil
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Govindarajan Sujatha: Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Sri Venkateswara Dental College and Hospital, Chennai 600130, India
Vishnu Priya Veeraraghavan: Centre of Molecular Medicine and Diagnostics (COMManD), Department of Biochemistry, Saveetha Dental College & Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai 600130, India
Ahmed Alamoudi: Oral Biology Department, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
Maha A. Bahammam: Department of Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
Sarah Ahmed Bahammam: Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, College of Dentistry, Taibah University, Medina 42353, Saudi Arabia
Yaser Ali Alhazmi: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, Jazan University, Jazan 45412, Saudi Arabia
Hazar S. Alharbi: Department of Basic Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
Khalid J. Alzahrani: Department of Clinical Laboratories Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
Mohammad S. Al-Ghamdi: Department of Clinical Laboratories Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
Fuad M. Alzahrani: Department of Clinical Laboratories Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
Saranya Varadarajan: Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Sri Venkateswara Dental College and Hospital, Chennai 600130, India
A. Thirumal Raj: Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Sri Venkateswara Dental College and Hospital, Chennai 600130, India
Shankargouda Patil: Department of Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, Division of Oral Pathology, College of Dentistry, Jazan University, Jazan 45412, Saudi Arabia

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 13, 1-8

Abstract: Aim: The use of toothbrushes was investigated as a potential RNA source and gene expression profiling tool for oral cancer screening in tobacco and alcohol users. Methodology: A total of 20 subjects were selected on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria. They were divided into two groups: group I—healthy controls ( n = 6); group II—individuals who consume tobacco and alcohol ( n = 14). After the volunteers brushed their teeth using a soft-bristle toothbrush with ~0.5 gm of toothpaste, the toothbrushes were collected, and the gene expression of BAX, BCL2, CDK4, CKDN2A, GNB3, and TCF7L2 was assessed. Results: The gene expression of BAX decreased significantly in alcoholics and smokers (0.13867 ± 0.12014), while the gene expression of BCL2 increased in alcoholics and smokers (1.91001 ± 0.90425) in comparison with healthy controls ( p = 0.0054 and p = 0.0055). Although there was increased expression of CDK4, CKDN2A, and TCF7L2 and decreased expression of GNB3 in smokers and alcoholics, the results were not significant. Conclusions: A toothbrush is a good source of RNA, and gene expression analysis can be performed using the genetic material retrieved from toothbrushes, which can aid in the early diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma among tobacco and alcohol users. Further studies with a larger sample size and different durations of toothbrush use should be conducted to explore the role of toothbrushes as a noninvasive tool for disease diagnosis.

Keywords: alcohol; oral cancer; RNA; toothbrush; tobacco (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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