title: Salivary and serum interleukin-6 levels in proliferative verrucous leukoplakia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cytokines and chemokines have been analysed in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma and potentially malignant disorders. We selected interleukin-6 (IL-6) because it is a multifunctional interleukin reported to be altered in potentially malignant oral disorders and in malignant lesions. To date, this has not been evaluated or tested in proliferative verrucous leukoplakia (PVL), however.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to analyse the differences in serum and saliva IL-6 levels among patients with PVL, oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and healthy controls and to examine the relationship between salivary IL-6 levels and the extent of the verrucous area.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we determined the serum and saliva IL-6 levels in three groups: 20 patients with PVL, 20 with OSCC and 20 healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant (p < 0.01) differences in the serum and saliva IL-6 levels among the three groups and among the three grades of extent of the verrucous areas (p = 0.01). In the OSCC group, there was a significant difference in the saliva IL-6 levels between patients with and without lymph node metastasis at diagnosis (p = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that patients with OSCC had the highest salivary and serum IL-6 levels, while PVL had lower values than OSCC, but higher than the controls, and these altered levels were associated with the extent of the verrucous areas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Salivary and plasma IL-6 are altered in patients with PVL, with more extensive verrucous areas being associated to the highest IL-6 levels. This could be a significant tool for monitoring patients with PVL, their progression to more advances stages and their recurrences.
authors.affiliation: Oral Medicine Department, Valencia University, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bagan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Guillermo T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Sáez
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: M Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Tormos
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, Valencia University, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Labaig-Rueda
authors.affiliation: Service of Stomatology and Maxillofacial Surgery, University General Hospital, Avda Tres Cruces s/n, 46014, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Murillo-Cortes
authors.affiliation: Oral Medicine Department, Valencia University, Valencia, Spain. bagan@uv.es.|Service of Stomatology and Maxillofacial Surgery, University General Hospital, Avda Tres Cruces s/n, 46014, Valencia, Spain. bagan@uv.es.
authors.forename: Jose V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Bagan
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000032:analysis*; D007971:Leukoplakia; D007972:Leukoplakia, Oral / Q000276:immunology*; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6
keywords: Interleukin-6; Proliferative verrucous leukoplakia