Salivary Lactate Dehydrogenase, C-Reactive Protein, and Cancer Antigen 125 Levels in Patients with Oral Lichen Planus and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common malignancy of the oral cavity and oral lichen planus (OLP) is considered a premalignant disease.

This study aims at comparing the salivary levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), C-reactive protein (CRP), and cancer antigen 125 (CA125) among cases with OSCC, OLP, and healthy persons.

In this case-control study, salivary markers were evaluated in 55 cases (15 patients with OSCC, 20 patients with OLP, and 20 healthy persons); non-stimulated saliva samples were collected from the patients and saliva markers were measured by the enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. The data were analyzed, using SPSS 21 software and ANOVA test and P < 0.05 was regarded as significant.

Salivary LDH and CA125 levels were significantly higher in OSCC and OLP patients compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Salivary CRP levels were significantly higher in OSCC patients compared to OLP patients (P < 0.05). Besides, salivary CRP levels were higher in OLP subjects than in the control group, but the difference was not significant (P = 0.56).

The identification of the salivary LDH, CA125, and CRP may provide a suitable non-invasive predictive tool for malignant changes. However, its use in clinical practice needs further research.