Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory mucosal disease that is usually detected in 0.5–2.2% of the human population. Among these, only 0.5–2.9% of the lesions progress to carcinoma. However, there are no prognostic markers available presently to recognize the increased risk in malignant transformation of the lesions. Selected markers for cell proliferation, adhesion, apoptosis and lymphocytic infiltration were analyzed by immunohistochemistry in addition to static cytometry for DNA content. The concept linking OLP and oral squamous cell carcinoma states that chronic inflammation results in crucial DNA damage, which further progresses to development of carcinoma. Even though in the past decade, enormous information has been accumulated on malignant potential of OLP, its transformation still remains unclear. Hence, the purpose of this article was to review cellular and molecular markers to understand the pathogenesis of OLP and its progression toward malignancy.

In the contemporary era, use of drugs is the dominant paradigm of health care. The most quotidian drug used for fever and pain is paracetamol. Although adverse reactions to paracetamol in India are rare, at times they can cause life-threatening situations. Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) is one such potentially lethal adverse drug reaction. The most reported cases of analgesic-induced SJS were due to oxicams or propionic acid derivatives. There are very few detailed reports of SJS due to the use of paracetamol. We report a case of SJS, which occurred due to the use of paracetamol. The clinical features of this condition and multidisciplinary management of the patient are described in brief.

Aims and Objectives:To study the genotoxic effects of tobacco on the exfoliated buccal epithelial cells in patients with oral precancerous lesions (OPLs) and Patients with tobacco habit but without oral precancerous lesion(habit controls) by using micronucleus assay as well as the quantification and detection of the biomarkers in these premalignant lesions which will be helpful in finding those patients who are at higher risk for malignant transformation.Materials and Methods:Forty samples were collected from the right and left side of buccal epithelial cells obtained from 20 individuals, i.e., 10 patients with habit control and 10 patients with OPLs. Statistical analysis was performed by the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 21.0 Unpaired t-test was performed to determine the micronucleated cell (MNC) and micronuclei (MN) frequencies in individuals; significance was set at P > 0.05.Results:There was an increase in both the MNC and MN frequency from habit controls to OPLs, indicating that the number of cells with chromosomal damage and extent of chromosomal damage in each cell was high in OPLs.Conclusion:The MN count can be used as a noninvasive tool for early detection, educating patients, screening a large population, and to check the risk for malignancy, which in turn may help in treatment planning.

A BSTRACT Evidence-based health care is gaining prominence since the past many decades. The ultimate goal of evidence-based medicine is providing the best available treatment to patients. The boom in pharmacy sector has seen a rapid rise in randomised controlled clinical trials. Novel medicines or diagnostic tests must be tested before introducing to the target population. Randomised controlled trials are at the top hierarchy of evidence-based health care, especially for testing newly invented drugs. The results obtained from randomised controlled trials cannot be generalised to the entire population. This has led to the evolvement of multi-centre trials in evidence-based research. Multi-centre trials can overcome the barriers associated with single-centre clinical trials. The conduct of multi-centre trials is still in a budding stage in India. Although there are many ongoing multi-centre trials in India, very few trials are conducted among the dental fraternity. The conduct of such trials has its own set of challenges involving funding, ethical committee approval, and logistic requirements. This paper will discuss the growth of multi-centre research, steps involved in conduct of multi-centre trials, and the challenges faced in conducting these trials by the dental specialists in India.