A SIMPLE HOME-BASED SALIVARY DIAGNOSTIC TEST FOR SMOKERS TO ASSESS THE RISK OF ORAL PRE-CANCER AND ORAL CANCER

摘要

Aim To develop a simple home-based salivary diagnostic test for smokers to assess the potential risk of developing pre-cancerous oral lesions and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) Background Smoking carries a risk of oral cancer. When people smoke they generate free radicals and Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) which are responsible for the high rate of lipid peroxidation. Malondialdehyde (MDA) is the end product of lipid peroxidation and can be used as a marker for assessing the degree of lipid peroxidation and thereby the risk of developing oral pre-cancer and OSCC. Method The new home-based method consists of a diagnostic reagent to detect lipid peroxidation levels in saliva. The result is obtained by observing the color change in the sample and matching it with a colorimetric chart. To device this method the diagnostic reagent was mixed with known standards of MDA and the color change was observed. Based on the color change a colorimetric Lipid Peroxidation Index (LPI) chart was devised. The colorimetric LPI chart was then tested to assess the degree of lipid peroxidation in 125 people divided into 5 groups - 25 non-smokers, 25 smokers (below 10 cigarettes per day), 25 smokers (between 10 to 20 cigarettes per day), 25 smokers (above 20 cigarettes per day) and 25 smokers with oral pre-cancer lesions and OSCC. Conclusion - The diagnostic reagent was able to detect the degree of lipid peroxidation in the saliva of smokers, oral pre-cancer and OSCC patients with 96% accuracy. The more the number of cigarettes smoked per day, the higher was the level of lipid peroxidation and the deeper was the color produced. In the absence of lipid peroxidation, there was no color change found in 100% of the cases. Based on the degree of lipid peroxidation, this simple inexpensive home-based method can serve as a safe, non-invasive and an early test for smokers to assess their risk of developing oral pre-cancerous lesions and oral squamous cell carcinoma.