Status of salivary lipid peroxidation in oral cancer and precancer

INTRODUCTION: Lipid oxidation gives rise to number of secondary by-products. Malondialdehyde (MDA) is the principal and most widely studied product of polyunsaturated fatty acid peroxidation. This aldehyde is a highly toxic molecule and should be considered as more than just a marker of lipid peroxidation in oral carcinogenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Salivary malondiadldehyde was evaluated in 65 healthy controls (HC), 115 subjects with oral, potentially malignant disorders (PMD) and 50 subjects with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) using the Thiobarbituric-Trichloroacetitic acid (TBA-TCA) method. RESULTS: A consistent elevation in the levels of salivary MDA was observed in HC with tobacco related habits, subjects with PMD and subjects with OSCC. The elevation in the salivary MDA was significant (P = 0.001) in the groups PMD and OSCC and group OSCC when compared to HC. CONCLUSION: The significant and encouraging findings of this study thus validate and reinforce that salivary malodialdehyde analysis can be used as an efficient, noninvasive tool for the early diagnosis of PMD and OSCC for planning comprehensive treatment protocol.