title: Status of salivary lipid peroxidation in oral cancer and precancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lipid oxidation gives rise to number of secondary by-products. Malondialdehyde (MDA) is the principal and most widely studied product of polyunsaturated fatty acid peroxidation. This aldehyde is a highly toxic molecule and should be considered as more than just a marker of lipid peroxidation in oral carcinogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Salivary malondiadldehyde was evaluated in 65 healthy controls (HC), 115 subjects with oral, potentially malignant disorders (PMD) and 50 subjects with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) using the Thiobarbituric-Trichloroacetitic acid (TBA-TCA) method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A consistent elevation in the levels of salivary MDA was observed in HC with tobacco related habits, subjects with PMD and subjects with OSCC. The elevation in the salivary MDA was significant (P = 0.001) in the groups PMD and OSCC and group OSCC when compared to HC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The significant and encouraging findings of this study thus validate and reinforce that salivary malodialdehyde analysis can be used as an efficient, noninvasive tool for the early diagnosis of PMD and OSCC for planning comprehensive treatment protocol.
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.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Science, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Subhas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Babu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, KS Hegde Medical Academy, Nitte University, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Suchetha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumari
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Science, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Pushparaja
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shetty
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Science, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Shruthi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hegde
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Science, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Renita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Castelino
keywords: Malodialdehyde; oral leukoplakia; potentially malignant disorders; saliva