Estimation and comparison of the salivary and serum nitric oxide levels in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma: A cross-sectional study
Kandasamy Arthy, KenniyanKumar SriChinthu, Muthusamy Rajmohan, Harikrishnan Prasad, Perumal Prema, Sivanandhan ShanmuganathanAbstract
Background:
Nitric oxide (NO) is a colourless, water-soluble, and free radical gas with a very short life span. NO acts as a double-edged sword that has both tumorigenic and tumoricidal properties.
Aim:
This study was conducted to estimate and compare the salivary and serum NO levels in healthy individuals and histopathologically diagnosed cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).
Methods
In this study, the salivary and serum NO levels were estimated in 30 healthy controls and 30 patients with OSCC using a Griess reagent and a multimode reader. Statistical analysis was performed using the independent
Results:
The mean and standard deviation (SD) of salivary NO levels in the healthy control group (Group I) were 0.7588 ± 0.0004 μg/μL, while in the OSCC group (Group II), it was 0.7598 ± 0.0005 μg/μL. Similarly, the mean and the SD of serum NO levels in the control group were 0.7591 ± 0.0003 μg/μL, while in the OSCC group, it was 0.7645 ± 0.0019 μg/μL.
Conclusion:
NO has a multidimensional role in carcinogenesis. The possible molecular mechanism behind the increased level of NO in OSCC could be correlated with the chronic inflammatory environment, which leads to oxidative damage of DNA through activation of various transcription factors, namely Nuclear Factor-kappa B (Nf kB), Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1-alpha (HIF-1 alpha), and Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3), which result in tumor growth and progression. Our study demonstrates that increased serum and saliva NO levels are seen in OSCC patients. Hence NO can be used as a diagnostic marker.