Abnormal oral mucosal light reflectance: a new clinical marker of high risk for colorectal cancer

Claudio De Felice ^1*, Mattia Gentile ², Alessandro Barducci ³, Antonio Bellosi ⁴, Stefano Parrini ⁵, Giovanna Chitano ⁶ and Giuseppe Latini ⁷

¹ Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, Italy
² Medical Genetic Unit, Hospital Di Venere, Bari, Italy
³ Department of Information Engineering, University of Siena, Italy
⁴ Orintex s.r.l., Prato, Italy
⁵ Department of Odontostomatological Sciences, University of Siena, Italy
⁶ Euro Mediterranean Scientific Biomedical Institute (ISBEM), Brindisi, Italy
⁷ Perrino Hospital, Italy

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: defelice.claudio{at}libero.it.

Accepted 17 January 2006

Abstract

Background: A familial predisposition to colorectal cancer (CRC) has been clearly established, consisting of familial clustering in 15-20%, and clear hereditary aetiology in 5-10% of overall CRC cases. Early identification of families and individuals at high risk is essential, as intensive surveillance has been demonstrated to reduce cancer incidence and overall mortality. In the present study, the value of oral mucosal light reflectance in identifying HNPCC carriers was investigated.

Methods: Twenty members of 6 different, genetically unrelated, HNPCC kindred and thirty genetically unrelated, age- and sex-matched healthy controls were examined. Lower gingival and vestibular oral mucosal reflectance was measured using an imaging spectrophotometer.

Results: HNPCC carriers showed significantly lower values in the 590-700 nm wavelength range (p0.0004). A reflectance cut-off value 47.9% at the 700 nm wavelength discriminated between HNPCC carriers and controls, with 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity.

Conclusions: These findings may provide an additional phenotypic sign in HNPCC carriers, which could be used in first level CRC population screening programs.

Keywords: colour, colorectal cancer, hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer, Lynch syndrome, spectrophotometry/methods

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