PP012: Levels of the cytokines IL-6, IL-8, sIL-2R, IL-1B and the tumor markers SCC, TPS, and VEGF IN patients with oral lichen planus and premalignancy vs oral squamous cell carcinoma

Purpose Although oral potentially malignant disorders (PMD) and associated conditions such as oral lichen planus (OLP) are clinically detectable, currently there is no test that can predict malignant transformation. While serum tumor markers have been accepted as valuable tools for prognosis and monitoring treatment, research evaluating markers in patients with PMD is lacking. Our purpose was to evaluate levels of the cytokines Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10, soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R), and IL-1β, and the tumor markers squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA), tissue polypeptide–specific antigen (TPS), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the serum of patients with PMD, and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), in order to evaluate their significance as tumor biomarkers and predictors of patient outcome. Methods and patients Patients histologically diagnosed with oral dysplasia (OD), OLP, or OSCC were included. Blood was collected and evaluated for specific cytokines in ELISAs. Normal levels for each marker were based on previous studies, while high levels were set at 80% and up. In order to test the association between pathological categories and blood markers, Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were used. A p -value of 5% or less was considered statistically significant. Results 47 patients were enrolled: 26 were diagnosed with OD or OLP, 15 with OSCC and 6 served as normal controls. We failed to discover statistically significant differences between normal, OD/OLP, status-post (SP) OSCC and OSCC for the serum markers IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, sIL-2R, IL-1β, TPS, or VEGF. However, statistically significant above normal levels of SCCA were found for OSCC and OD/OLP patients (33.3% and 11.1%, respectively) and higher range of normal detected for dysplasia and SP OSCC patients (22% and 33%, respectively). Conclusions Higher levels of serum SCCA may be correlated with oral carcinogenesis, including dysplasia. Further analysis with larger groups is warranted.