Evaluation of Serum C-Reactive Protein Levels in Oral Premalignancies and Malignancies: A Comparative Study

OBJECTIVES: The aim was to evaluate and compare pretreatment serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in patients with oral premalignancies and malignancies with that in healthy controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study sample consisted of 90 patients of both genders. The subjects were divided into three groups. Group I comprised 30 healthy controls, while group II included 30 patients with potential oral malignancies including leukoplakia, oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF), and oral lichen planus (OLP), and group III included 30 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patients confirmed by histopathological examination. All samples were subjected to CRP analysis. Serum CRP levels were quantitatively determined using the automated immunoturbidimetric method. RESULTS: In group I, CRP levels were ranging from 0.1 to 18.3 mg/l with the mean ± standard deviation (SD) CRP level of 3.88±4.50 mg/l. In group II, CRP levels were ranging from 0.8 to 53.9 mg/l with the mean ± SD CRP level of 5.59±9.86 mg/l. In group III, CRP levels were ranging from 3.3 to 96 mg/l with the mean ± SD CRP level of 31.72±31.01 mg/l. CONCLUSIONS: According to the results, prediagnostic concentrations of CRP are associated with subsequent development of oral cancer and suggest that plasma CRP level is a potential marker of increased risk of cancer.