Biochemical Changes in Irradiated Oral Mucosa: A FTIR Spectroscopic Study
Helena Ukkonen,
Simo Vuokila,
Jopi J. W. Mikkonen,
Hannah Dekker,
Engelbert A. J. M. Schulten,
Elisabeth Bloemena,
Arto Koistinen,
Tulio A. Valdez,
Arja M. Kullaa,
Surya Pratap Singh
Affiliations
Helena Ukkonen
Research Group of Oral Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, and Oulu University Hospital, P.O. Box 8000, 90014 Oulu, Finland
Simo Vuokila
SIB Labs, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
Jopi J. W. Mikkonen
SIB Labs, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
Hannah Dekker
Amsterdam UMC and Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/Oral Pathology, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Engelbert A. J. M. Schulten
Amsterdam UMC and Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/Oral Pathology, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Elisabeth Bloemena
Amsterdam UMC and Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/Oral Pathology, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Arto Koistinen
SIB Labs, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
Tulio A. Valdez
Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Patlo Alto, CA 94305, USA
Arja M. Kullaa
Research Group of Oral Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, and Oulu University Hospital, P.O. Box 8000, 90014 Oulu, Finland
Surya Pratap Singh
SIB Labs, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
Radiation exposure during the course of treatment in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients can induce both structural and biochemical anomalies. The present study is focused on utilizing infrared imaging for the identification of the minor biochemical alterations in the oral mucosa. Chemical maps generated using glycoprotein band indicates its differential distribution along the superficial layer. Spectra extracted from this layer suggests changes in overall nucleic acid and protein content in response to the therapeutic irradiation. Discrimination among control and irradiated groups have been achieved using principal component analysis. Findings of this preliminary study further support prospective utilization of Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) imaging as a non-destructive, label-free tool for objective assessment of the oral mucosa in patient groups with or without radiation therapy.
