Antioxidant Status in Serum of Long-term Areca Nut chewers and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas Patients

Abstract

Aim: This study was carried out to investigate implications of serum antioxidant status in people with long-term areca nut chewers and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients. Materials and Methods: Serum samples were collected from areca nut chewers, OSCC patients, and control of both genders between the ages of 15 and 60 years. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), uric Acid, and protein were estimated using ELISA reader, semi-automatic biochemical analyzer, and spectrophotometer. Results: SOD level in OSCC patients was decrease when compared to control and areca nut chewers indicate a low antioxidant profile. Yet, a decrease in SOD level in areca nut chewers when compared to control suggests that areca nut chewers are also prone to oxidative stress. TAC a known cancer biomarkers are known to increase in tobacco and areca quid’s consumers. Increase serum TAC level in OSCC and areca nut chewers when compared to healthy control could further justify that areca nut chewers population are prone to OSCC. Our studies also showed that decrease uric acid level in areca nut chewers corresponds to decrease in free radical scavenging activity which relates to our SOD level in our earlier finding. Increase protein level was also observed in OSCC patients when compared to areca nut chewers and controls. Although, there was no significant change between areca nut chewers and controls, increase protein level in areca nut chewers indicates violation to the integrity of capillary bed or mucosal lining as occurs in oral neoplasia which can cause increase protein synthesis. Conclusion: Areca nut chewers can alter serum antioxidant enzymes and increase OSCC cancer biomarker. Hence, maintaining the antioxidants status can help limit the progression of precancerous condition toward malignancy.