Collagen is the unique, triple helical protein molecule which forms the major part of the extracellular matrix. It is the most abundant protein in the human body, representing 30% of its dry weight and is important to health because it characterizes the structure of skin, connective tissues, tendons, bones and cartilage. As collagen forms building block of body structures, any defect in collagen results in disorders, such as osteogenesis imperfecta, Ehlers-Dalnos syndrome, scurvy, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, Stickler syndrome, oral submucous fibrosis, Marfan syndrome, epidermolysis bullosa, Alport syndrome. This review discusses the role of collagen in health as well as disease.

Diabetes mellitus is a group of complex multisystem metabolic disorders characterized by relative or absolute insufficiency of insulin secretion and/or concomitant resistance to the metabolic action of insulin on target tissues. 1 The worldwide explosion of this chronic ailment is a major health care burden. The number of people globally with diabetes are projected to rise to 439 million (7.7%) by 2030. 2 Currently, India has 41 million diabetics, and this number is expected to increase to 70 million by 2025. The increased number of diabetics in India is likely due to unprecedented rates of urbanization and lifestyle changes. 3 The increased morbidity and mortality of diabetic patients is mostly attributed to complications of the disease. Hyperglycemia is the immediate metabolic consequence of diabetes, and chronic hyperglycemia leads to several events that promote structural changes in tissues. 1,4 A high prevalence of wide spectrum oral alterations associated with diabetes has been described in literature. To minimize the risk of complications associated with this disease, it is necessary to regularly monitor the glucose levels of diabetic patients. The important aspect in glycemic control is the frequent monitoring of blood glucose levels. 5 Various biofluids that are used to monitor glucose levels include blood and urine. The choice of blood as a diagnostic fluid for clinical testing is clear-cut considering its close relationship to the homeostasis of the body. Because blood circulates throughout all organs, its chemical makeup is a composite of nearly all metabolic processes occurring in the 552673D STXXX10.

Introduction:The assessment of micronuclei in exfoliated cells is a promising tool for the study of epithelial carcinogens and can be used to detect chromosome breakage or mitotic interference, thought to be relevant to carcinogenesis.Aim:The present study aimed to detect micronuclei in exfoliated oral mucosal cells in individuals using various tobacco forms from the last 5 years.Materials and Methods:A total of 75 healthy male subjects (25 smokeless tobacco users, 25 smokers, and 25 non–tobacco users) were selected for the study. Smears were obtained with moistened wooden spatula from buccal mucosa and fixed with 95% alcohol. All the cytologic smears were stained by Papanicolaou technique. From each slide, ~1000 cells were examined under the 400× magnification and where micronucleated (MN) cells were located, they were examined under the 1000× magnification.Result:MN cells were found to be significantly higher in smokeless tobacco users than in smokers and controls.Conclusion:A positive correlation is found between increased micronucleus frequency and tobacco-using habits. So micronucleus assay can be used as a biomarker of genotoxicity.

Background: Extracted human teeth are regularly used for practice and educational purposes in dental institutions at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Different materials and methods are used for sterilizing extracted teeth to avoid infection from them.

Background:Lip prints are unique to each individual and can be used for personal identification. The lip prints show differences according to the race and the ethnic origins of a person.Aim:The objective of the study was to determine the predominant lip print type in a Punjabi population.Materials and Methods:The study was conducted on 106 students of our institution and comprised 56 males and 50 females in the age group of 18-25 years. The middle part of the lower lip was taken as study area. Analysis of lip print pattern was done according to Tsuchihashi Classification.Results:No two lip prints matched with each other. Type 1 pattern (vertical grooves that run across the entire lip) was found to be predominant in both males (51.02%) and females (43.47%) and there was no statistically observed difference between males and females in individual lip print types.Conclusion:In our study, lip prints did not match with each other, hence lip prints are unique and further studies with larger samples are required to obtain statistical significance.