REDIFFERENTIATION OF ORAL DYSPLASTIC MUCOSA BY THE APPLICATION OF THEANTIOXIDANTS BETA-CAROTENE, ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL AND VITAMIN-C

In a clinical trial the effect of chemoprevention with beta-carotene, vitamin E and C on dysplastic tissue was studied. The study included 2 4 patients with oral leukoplakia and 24 patients after radical resecti on of a primary oral cancer. There was a reduction of increased cell k inetic parameters like the S-phase portion or the average number of nu clear-organizer regions (NOR) per cell nucleus, a decrease of the micr onuclei portion and a normalization of the cytokeratin gene-expression . The general response was 97.5%. Stopping the alcohol and tobacco abu se the effect of the antioxidative vitamins on redifferentiation of th e oral mucosa was more intense than by persistance of the alcohol and tobacco abuse, but a long term prevention seems to be ineffective.