Salivary MMP-9 as a biomarker for the diagnosis of oral potentially malignant disorders and oral squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

Objective: To compare the salivary MMP - 9 concentration among subjects with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD), tobacco users, and control groups. Materials and methods: A total of 88 subjects were enrolled and divided into four study groups viz., OSCC (n=24), OPMD (n=20), tobacco habits (n=22), and healthy controls (n=22). All subjects gave unstimulated saliva samples for the evaluation MMP - 9 by ELISA kit. Demographic information like age, gender, type of tobacco, and duration of the habit were recorded. Results: Subjects with OSCC and OPMD had signifiantly higher mean MMP-9 levels than subjects with tobacco habits and control groups (P<0.001). Also, poorly differentiated OSCC group had signifiantly higher mean saliva MMP-9 than moderate and well-differentiated OSCC. The optimal cut-off point was 214.37 ng/mL with a sensitivity of 100% and specifiity of 59% for OSCC versus the control group. The optimal cut-off point was as 205.87 ng/mL with a sensitivity of 100% and a specifiity of 54% for OPMD versus the control group. Conclusion: The data obtained from this study indicated that OSCC and OPMD had an increased level of salivary MMP-9. Salivary MMP-9 could be a useful, non-invasive adjunct technique in the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of OSCC and OPMD.