Role of sialic acid, protein, and sugar parameters of saliva and serum as a diagnostic biomarker tool among oral squamous cell carcinoma patients at rural Kanpur: An evaluative case—control assessment

Abstract

Context: It is essential to identify cancer at an early stage to reduce the disease's morbidity and mortality. Noninvasive methods such as serum and saliva analysis, in comparison to existing biopsy, can provide a cost-effective approach for screening a large population. Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate sialic acid (SA), protein, and sugar in serum and saliva of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients with controls to assess their role as a diagnostic marker. Settings and Design: Unstimulated whole saliva and serum were collected. Subjects and Methods: Unstimulated whole saliva and serum were collected. From sixty controls and 78 squamous cell carcinoma patients. Serum and salivary total sialic acid, total protein, and total sugar estimation were carried out. Statistical Analysis Used: The results were tabulated and analyzed statistically using the t-square test, Pearson correlation with SPSS 21 version statistical software. Results: A significant rise in the salivary and serum SA as well serum protein was observed in OSCC study patients as compared to controls. Salivary protein, serum, and salivary sugar also show significant results. Furthermore, serum and salivary SA levels were found to be significantly increased with histopathological grading. Conclusions: The present study showed a significant and gradual increase in serum and salivary SA, protein, and sugar from control to oral cancer. From this study, we can suggest that SA can be used as a reliable biomarker in saliva for screening and early detection of oral cancer.