Salivary glutathione and uric acid levels in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

Salivary glutathione levels may be an index of oxidative stress at the level of the upper airways and in particular of oral cavity and pharynx. Therefore, high salivary glutathione may be an epidemiological marker to identify subjects with an increased risk of developing HNSCC, to submit to strict follow-up and chemoprevention. Metabolic alterations of saliva could be both an epidemiological marker and a target for chemoprevention of oral and oropharyngeal carcinogenesis.

The Effect of Tobacco Smoking on Salivation

“…Recent research confirms that smoking negatively affects the quality of saliva. Substances from cigarette smoke destroy protective macromolecules of saliva, enzymes and proteins, and thus saliva loses its protective role and becomes an agent in carcinogenesis and development of oral and oropharyngeal cancer (10)(11)(12).…”

Analysis of Salivary Antioxidant Levels in Different Clinical Staging and Histological Grading of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Noninvasive Technique in Dentistry

“…SOD activity depends on the capacity of the enzyme to inhibit the reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) by superoxide, which is generated by the reaction of photo reduced riboflavin and oxygen [8].…”

Relationship of Glutathione Status with Oral Pre-cancer and Cancer

“…Utilization of the glutathione by tumor tissues or by excessive oxidation in circulation was the probable reason for the depletion of gluthione in plasma [19]. Recently few studies have been carried out on salivary glutathione levels in smokers, dental caries and oral cancer [3,5,20]. In our study we evaluated salivary glutathione in oral cancer and pre-cancer patients.…”

“…Several oral lesions such as leukoplakia (OL), erythroplakia and lichen planus carry an increased risk for malignant transformation to OC in the oral cavity [2]. Smoking and alcohol intake are the best defined and extensively researched risk factors for OC [3]. DNA damage, occurring as the result of chemical attack originating from these agents, in large part by products of oxidative metabolism and in particular by reactive oxygen species (ROS), is probably the most frequent potentially mutagenic spontaneous event [4].…”

“…Glutathione directly scavenges free radicals, sometimes act as a substrate for glutathione peroxidases and glutathione Stransferases during the detoxification of ROS [7,8]. Recently studies have been carried out on salivary glutathione levels in patients with diabetes, dental caries and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma [3,9,10]. The aim of our study was to evaluate the levels of salivary glutathione in oral leukoplakia and oral squamous cell carcinoma patients.…”