Results suggest that salivary copper zinc and iron could be used as biomarkers for oral precancer and cancer.

Oral cancer accounts for the majority of the cancer in South East Asian region and especially in the Indian subcontinent. If diagnosed at an early stage the disease is reported to have a better prognosis. Recently studies have been conducted to determine the levels of serum antioxidants for risk assessment of oral cancer. The aim of this study was to estimate the levels of glutathione in serum of patients with oral cancer, oral leukoplakia and healthy controls. Three study groups comprising of, 25 oral cancer patients, 25 oral leukoplakia patients and 25 healthy controls were involved in the study. Serum sample collected from the patients by venipuncture were evaluated by Beutler's method. The data obtained were analyzed using the one way ANOVA test. There was a significant difference between the levels of serum glutathione in between oral cancer, oral leukoplakia groups when compared to healthy controls. The levels of serum glutathione were lower in oral cancer when compared to oral leukoplakia but the difference was not statistically significant. The results suggest that serum glutathione level estimation could be used to determine the risk of oral cancer.

Background:Oral submucous fibrosis is one of the most commonly occurring potentially malignant disorders in the South-East Asia. Levels of lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde have been recently correlated with clinical grades of oral Submucous fibrosis.Aims:The aims of this study were to estimate the levels of malondialdehyde in serum, saliva and tissue in patients with oral submucous fibrosis, to correlate change in levels of malodialdehyde with the histopathological grading.Materials and Methods:The study group comprised of 65 clinically diagnosed and histopathologically confirmed cases of oral submucous fibrosis, 21 age and sex matched controls were also enrolled into the study. The serum saliva and tissue samples in the study groups were evaluated by the thiobarbutric acid reactive substances.Results:There was a significant difference between the serum and salivary malondialdehyde among the histopathological grades of oral submucous fibrosis. Tissue malonaldehyde levels were significantly higher as the grading progressed but tissue levels in grade 3 oral submucous fibrosis were lower than the controls.Conclusion:This decrease in tissue malonaldehyde could possibly be associated to collagen cross linking occurring during the advanced stages of oral submucous fibrosis.

Background:Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is one of the most commonly occurring potentially malignant disorders in India and south East Asian countries where betel chewing is common practice. Iron and ascorbic acid are important agents for collagen synthesis.Aims:The aims of this study were to estimate the levels of iron and ascorbic acid in serum and saliva in patients with OSMF and to correlate change in levels of iron and ascorbic acid with the histopathological grading of OSMF.Materials and Methods:The study group comprised of 65 clinically diagnosed and histopathologically confirmed cases of OSMF; 21 age- and sex-matched controls were also enrolled in the study. Serum and salivary ascorbic acid were analyzed by the dintrophenyl hydrazine method whereas serum and salivary iron were analyzed by the dipyridyl method.Results:The serum and salivary ascorbic acid levels consistently decreased with the progression of histopathologiocal grading of OSMF. Serum and salivary iron levels were also decreased in OSMF patients, but this was not significant.Conclusion:Ascorbic acid and iron may have been used for the excessive collagen synthesis occurring during progression of OSMF. Hence, serum and salivary monitoring may play a crucial role in the early diagnosis and prognosis of OSMF.

In the SouthEast Asian countries oral cancer is one among the commonly occurring malignancies due to tobacco use and quid chewing habits. Early stage diagnosis of the disease is reported to have a better prognosis. Sialochemistry studies involving antioxidants have recently gained importance as biomarkers for oral cancer risk assessment. The aim of this study was to estimate the levels of superoxide dismutase in saliva of patients with oral cancer, oral leukoplakia and healthy controls. Three study groups comprising of 25 oral cancer patients, 25 oral leukoplakia patients and 25 healthy controls were involved in the study. Saliva sample collected from the patients were evaluated superoxide dismutase by nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) chloride method. The data obtained were analyzed using the one way ANOVA test. There was a significant difference between the levels of salivary superoxide dismutase in between oral cancer, oral leukoplakia groups when compared to healthy controls. The levels of salivary superoxide dismutase were significantly lower in oral cancer when compared to oral leukoplakia. These results suggest that salivary superoxide dismutase level estimation could be used to determine the risk of oral cancer as a non-invasive modality.