Journal of Oral Health and Oral Epidemiology

Journal of Oral Health and Oral Epidemiology

Comparison of salivary and serum homocysteine levels in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Ayla Bahramian 1
Fatemeh Dabaghi Tabriz 2
Katayoun Katebi 1
Vahid Jafarlou 3
Rosa Motayagheni 4
Aydin Joudi 5
1 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
2 Department of Restorative Dentistry, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
3 Oncology Surgeon, Tabriz, Iran
4 Department of Prosthodontics, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
5 Department of Community Oral Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
10.34172/johoe.2023.07
Abstract
Background: No factor alone has been defined as the cause of oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Identification of biochemical markers involved in SCC metabolic reactions is important in SCC diagnosis. Homocysteine is an amino acid whose altered levels have been observed in various malignancies. This study aimed to assess the serum and salivary levels of homocysteine in patients with SCC and compare these data with those of healthy individuals.
Methods: In this case-control analytical study, 21 patients with oral SCC and 21 healthy subjects were studied. Salivary and serum samples were obtained, and homocysteine levels were evaluated with an HCY ELISA Kit. Independent t-test and Pearson correlation coefficient were used, and statistical analysis was done using SPSS 17. A P value < 0. 05 was considered significant.
Results: The level of serum homocysteine was 3.71 ± 2.5 in the patient group and 2.01 ± 2.11 in the control group (P = 0.008). The salivary homocysteine levels were 3.12 ± 1.66 in the case group and 2.93 ± 1.71 in control group (P = 0.782).
Conclusion: Homocysteine levels in the serum might be a good marker for diagnosis of oral SCC; however, more research is needed on using salivary homocysteine levels as a diagnostic indicator.
Keywords
Homocysteine
Saliva
Squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck
Biomarkers
Tumor
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Journal of Oral Health and Oral Epidemiology
Volume 12, Issue 1
Winter 2023
Pages 38-41

  • Receive Date 13 August 2021
  • Revise Date 24 March 2022
  • Accept Date 21 May 2022