Serum lipid profile in oral precancer and cancer: a diagnostic or prognostic marker?

Background: Changes in lipid profile have been associated with malignancy because of their key role in the maintenance the integrity of the cell membrane. This study evaluated the alterations in serum lipid profile in untreated patients of oral submucus fibrosis (OSMF), oral leukoplakia, and oral lichen planus and proven cases of oral cancer with respect to healthy controls. Materials & Methods: In this case control study, 20 clinically and histopathologically proven patients of oral precancer and oral cancer each were compared with 20 healthy controls. In these groups, serumlipids including: (i) Total cholesterol. (ii) Triglycerides (TGL). (iii) High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL) were analyzed. Results: Decrease in plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, VLDL in the subjects with the oral precancer and oral cancer as compared to the controls was statistically significant. There was also decrease in plasma levels of TGL and VLDL in oral cancer subjects as compared to precancer subjects. Thus, it was found that there is an inverse relationship between plasma lipid levels and patients. Conclusion: Post operative morbidity was increasing along with more operating time and increase in the depth of mandibular third molar impaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]