Zinc, Copper, and Iron in Oral Submucous Fibrosis: A Meta-Analysis

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a potentially malignant disorder which causes fibrosis and inflammation of the oral mucosa. Studies have reported altered levels of trace elements in oral submucous fibrosis subjects, but findings have been inconsistent. The objective of this research is to perform a meta-analysis to summarize studies that report zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and iron (Fe) in patients, with and without OSF. A literature search of Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science electronic databases was conducted for studies up to January 2017. A total of 34 reports met the inclusion criteria. The standardized mean difference was utilized as the effect size. The robust variance estimation method was chosen to handle dependency of multiple related outcomes in meta-analysis. There was a significant increase in the levels of Cu (effect size = 1.17, p value < 0.05, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.164–2.171) and a significant decrease in levels of Zn (effect size = −1.95, p value < 0.05, 95% CI: −3.524 to −0.367) and Fe (effect size = −2.77, p value < 0.01, 95% CI: −4.126 to −1.406) in OSF patients. The estimation of Zn, Cu, and Fe levels may serve as additional biomarkers in the diagnosis and prognosis of OSF along with the clinical features.