Correlation of radiotherapy with serum total and lipid-bound sialic acid in OSCC patients

Abstract

Context: Increased quantities of glycoconjugates such as Total Sialic Acid (TSA) and Lipid-bound Sialic Acid (LSA) have been detected in the plasma and serum of patients with various malignancies, indicating their usefulness in diagnosis or monitoring of the treatment modality. Aims: (1) To estimate and compare the serum TSA and LSA levels in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) patients before and after radiotherapy, as also in healthy individuals. (2) To determine the correlation, if any, between Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) staging and levels of TSA and LSA. (3) To determine the use of serum TSA and LSA as biomarkers of OSCC. Settings and Design: The study was designed as a case-control study and was undertaken in a dental college and cancer hospital. Materials and Methods: It was planned to estimate the serum TSA and LSA levels of 20 healthy individuals and of 20 OSCC patients, spectrophotometrically; before starting and one month after completion of radiotherapy. Statistical Analysis: The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 10.0) was used. Results: The mean serum TSA and LSA levels in OSCC patients decreased significantly after radiotherapy; however, they were still higher than the levels in the controls. In untreated OSCC patients, a statistically significant positive correlation was observed between the TNM stage of the disease and the serum TSA levels; but the same was not found between the TNM stage of the disease and the serum LSA levels. In OSCC, the serum TSA and LSA levels had a positive relationship with the TNM stages. These levels decreased significantly after radiotherapy. Conclusion: Serum TSA and LSA can be utilized as potential diagnostic and prognostic indicators in OSCC.