title: Evaluation of micronutrient status in serum and saliva of oral submucous fibrosis patients: A clinicopathological study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is one of the most commonly occurring potentially malignant disorders in India and south East Asian countries where betel chewing is common practice. Iron and ascorbic acid are important agents for collagen synthesis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were to estimate the levels of iron and ascorbic acid in serum and saliva in patients with OSMF and to correlate change in levels of iron and ascorbic acid with the histopathological grading of OSMF.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group comprised of 65 clinically diagnosed and histopathologically confirmed cases of OSMF; 21 age- and sex-matched controls were also enrolled in the study. Serum and salivary ascorbic acid were analyzed by the dintrophenyl hydrazine method whereas serum and salivary iron were analyzed by the dipyridyl method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum and salivary ascorbic acid levels consistently decreased with the progression of histopathologiocal grading of OSMF. Serum and salivary iron levels were also decreased in OSMF patients, but this was not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ascorbic acid and iron may have been used for the excessive collagen synthesis occurring during progression of OSMF. Hence, serum and salivary monitoring may play a crucial role in the early diagnosis and prognosis of OSMF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Science, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Shishir Ram
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Shetty
authors.forename: Subhas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Babu
authors.forename: Suchetha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumari
authors.forename: Pushparaja
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shetty
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vijay
authors.forename: Arvind
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karikal
keywords: Ascorbic acid; collagen; iron; oral submucous fibrosis; saliva