title: Evaluation of lactate dehydrogenase enzyme activity in saliva and serum of oral submucous fibrosis patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Of all oral precancerous conditions, Oral Submucous Fibrosis is of greater concern because of its disabling nature and relative greater chances of malignant transformation. This malignant transformation involves glycolytic pathways that can alter lactate dehydrogenase levels. Therefore the aim of this study was to estimate the LDH levels in saliva and serum of subjects with OSMF and to compare them with healthy controls and to correlate the relationship between pathogenesis of OSMF and the LDH enzyme.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty Subjects were recruited for this study and divided into two groups, 30 subjects with OSMF (Group A) and 30 healthy controls (Group B). Venous blood and unstimulated whole saliva measuring 1 ml was collected from each of these evaluated for LDH levels using the standard kit method. The data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis using the SPSS software version 17.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average salivary LDH value for Group A was 606.83 ± 60.09 U/l and for Group B was 80.73 ± 20.06 U/l. salivary LDH was greater in group A than Group B and this was statistically significant. On comparing the serum and salivary LDH in Group A with the clinical staging of OSMF, the results were not statistically significant. Similarly no statistically significant relationship was found on comparing the serum and salivary LDH in Group A (OSMF subjects) with duration of habit.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides additional rationale for the role of salivary LDH in the early diagnosis and prognosis of oral submucous fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Oral Pathology & Microbiology, Indira Gandhi Institute of Dental Sciences, Pondicherry, India.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sivaramakrishnan
authors.affiliation: Oral Pathology & Microbiology, Meenakshi Ammal Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, India.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sivapathasundharam
authors.affiliation: Periodontology, Indira Gandhi Institute of Dental Sciences, Pondicherry, India.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jananni
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D045022:Lactate Dehydrogenases / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009914:Oral Submucous Fibrosis / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D012463:Saliva / Q000201:enzymology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D045022:Lactate Dehydrogenases
keywords: lactate dehydrogenase; oral precancer; saliva; serum; submucous fibrosis