Estimation of plasma fibrinogen degradation products in oral submucous fibrosis: A clinico-pathological study

BACKGROUND: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a disease of the oral mucosa characterized by excessive accumulation of subepithelial collagen, thereby resulting in severe limitation of mouth opening. In OSF, in response to inflammation, the body produces more fibrinogen and its degradation products. The plasma fibrinogen degradation products (FDP) have been reported to be early indicators of fibrin deposition. The present study was intended to ascertain the role of FDP in OSF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 40 subjects were included in the study. The subjects for the present study were selected from the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology. The subjects were divided into two groups. The study group comprised 24 subjects diagnosed clinically and histopathologically as OSF and were further divided into three clinical and histological stages of OSF. The control group comprised 16 age- and gender-matched healthy individuals. Five milliliters of venous blood was drawn from the antecubital fossa of all the participants. The blood samples were centrifuged at 1000 rpm for 5 min to separate plasma, and the plasma FDP levels were assessed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: There was a significant difference in the plasma FDP levels between the study group and the control group. There was a significant linear increase of plasma FDP levels with an increase in severity of the clinical stage of OSF. Comparison with the histopathological grades of OSF also showed an increase in FDP levels with higher grades of OSF and there was a good correlation between the clinical staging and the histopathological grading of OSF.