Table 4. List of oral cancer protein biomarkers and their expression levels.
| Biomarker | Study population | Saliva partition | Method | Expression | Sensitivity | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LDH | 100 (HC, OLP, OLRs, and OSCC) | Saliva Supernatant (centrifuged at 2600g, 15 minutes) | Spectrophotometry | Upregulated | p<0.02 | 81 |
| IL-8 IL-1β LGALS3BP | 117 (HC, OSCC, PMOD, and under treatment) | Saliva Supernatant | ELISA | Upregulated | p<0.0006 p<0.0001 | 124 |
| IL-6 | 44 (HC and OC) | Saliva Supernatant | Immuno-fluorescence | Upregulated | p<0.05 | 125 |
| MMP-1 | 1160 (HC, OPMD-I, OPMD-II, and OSCC) | Saliva Supernatant | ELISA | Upregulated | p<0.001 | 126 |
| MMP-9 | 88 (HC, OSCC and OPMD) | Saliva Supernatant | ELISA | Upregulated | p<0.001 | 127 |
| IL-17A IL-17F TNF-α | 71 (HC, Differentiated site and grade tumor) | Saliva Supernatant | ELISA | Upregulated | p<0.001 p<0.01 p<0.01 | 128 |
| CYFRA21-1 | 35 (OPMD, OSMF and OSCC) | Saliva Supernatant | ELISA | Upregulated | p=0.01 | 129 |
| TNF- α IL-6 | 60 (HC, OBFOL) | Saliva Supernatant | ELISA | Upregulated | p=0.039 p<0.0001 | 130 |
| L-Fucose | 85 (HC, OPMD and OC) | Saliva Supernatant | Spectrophotometry | Upregulated | p<0.001 | 131 |
| MUC1 | 30 (HC, oral premalignant and OSCC) | Saliva Supernatant | ELISA | Upregulated | p<0.001 | 132 |
| Hsp27 | 45 (HC and OLP) | Saliva Supernatant | ELISA | Upregulated | p<0.001 | 133 |
| Hsp90 L-Fucose | 90 (HC, PMOD, and OC) | Saliva Supernatant | ELISA | Upregulated | p<0.001 | 134 |
| Sialic acid (FSA and PBSA) | 96 (HC, tobacco chewers and OSCC) | Saliva Supernatant | Spectrophotometry | Upregulated | p<0.001 | 135 |
p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
LDH= Lactate Dehydrogenase; IL= Interleukin; LGALS3BP = galectin-binding protein; MMP= Matrix metallopeptidase; TNF= Tumor Necrosis Factor; CYFRA= Cytokeratin fragment; MUC= Mucin; Hsp= Heat shock protein; FSA= Free sialic acid; PBSA= Protein-bound sialic acid; HC= Healthy Control; OC= Oral Cancer; OLP= Oral Leukoplakia; OLRs= Oral lichen planus; OSCC= Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma; PMOD=potentially malignant oral disorders; OPMD= Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy; OBFOL= oral benign fibro-osseous tumors; IL= Interleukin; MMP= Matrix metalloproteinase; PBSA=Protein-bound sialic acid; FSA= Free sialic acid.