title: Validation of the diagnostic utility of salivary interleukin 8 in the differentiation of potentially malignant oral lesions and oral squamous cell carcinoma in a region with high endemicity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the clinical utility of salivary interleukin 8 (IL-8) in the differential diagnosis of potentially malignant lesions (PMLs) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in a region with high oral cancer prevalence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Saliva and blood samples were collected from 100 participants in each group (OSCC, PMLs, and healthy controls). Serum and salivary IL-8 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The data were subjected to appropriate statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant increase in levels of serum and salivary IL-8 was found in OSCC compared with PMLs and healthy controls. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis found salivary IL-8 to have superior sensitivity in detecting OSCC. A significant increase in IL-8 levels based on the histologic grading of OSCC was also observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirms that salivary IL-8 can be a potent marker that can be used as a tool in the differential diagnosis of PMLs and OSCC.
authors.affiliation: Professor and Head, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, SRM Dental College, SRM University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Electronic address: drrajkumar22163@yahoo.co.uk.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rajkumar
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, SRM Dental College, SRM University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nandhini
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, SRM Dental College, SRM University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramya
authors.affiliation: Research Faculty, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, SRM Dental College, SRM University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rajashree
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, SRM Dental College, SRM University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: A Ramesh
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Biochemistry, SRM Dental College, SRM University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: S Nirmala
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Anandan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012463:Saliva / Q000276:immunology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016209:Interleukin-8