title: Salivary and Serum Interleukin-6 Levels in Oral Premalignant Disorders and Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Diagnostic Value and Clinicopathologic Correlations
abstract: Aim: To assess the diagnostic utility of serum and salivary interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels in the differential diagnosis
  of potentially malignant lesions and conditions (PMLs/PMCs) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in a high
  oral cancer prevalence region. Methods: After appropriate ethical clearance and informed consent, salivary and blood
  samples were collected from 100 participants in each group (OSCC, PMLs, and healthy controls). Serum and salivary
  IL-6 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and data were subjected to appropriate statistical
  analysis. Results: Significant differences in IL-6 concentration were noted between OSCC and PML/C patients in both
  serum and saliva, with salivary levels being 2 to 3 fold higher than serum values in all the groups. Receiver operating
  characteristic curve analysis demonstrated 96% specificity and 99% sensitivity for salivary IL-6 in differentiating
  PML from OSCC. Conclusions: The results of the present study suggest that the pro-inflammatory cytokine, IL-6, is
  elevated in the saliva of patients with OSSC compared to PMD and controls, and thus may prove to have diagnostic
  and/or prognostic significance.
authors.affiliation: SRM Dental College and Hospitals, Ramapuram, Chennai, India. Email: drtdineshkumar@gmail.com
authors.forename: Thayalan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dineshkumar
authors.forename: Balakuntla Krishnamurthy
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Ashwini
authors.forename: Annasamy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rameshkumar
authors.forename: Padmanaban
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rajashree
authors.forename: Ramadas
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramya
authors.forename: Krishnan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rajkumar
keywords: Cytokine; interleukin 6; oral squamous cell carcinoma; premalignant lesion; saliva