ABSTRACT
Background
Detection of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) at an early stage would be a paramount for any successful clinical treatment, and thus better prognosis. Serum proteomics, a minimally invasive procedure being simple, safe and accessible, is one of the methods that are used for detection of various biomarkers that could be of diagnostic and prognostic importance for diseases including OSCC. The aim of this prospective study was to determine the role of serum albumin, globulin levels and albumin/globulin (A/G) ratio as a reliable diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in OSCC.
Materials and Methods
The study was conducted on 30 clinically diagnosed OSCC patients and 10 normal healthy patients of the control group. Blood samples were collected from all patients under necessary precautions and processed further to obtain serum. Biopsies were obtained from OSCC patients and were histopathologically graded into well, moderate and poorly differentiated OSCC. Serum sample from both groups was evaluated and statistically analyzed for albumin, globulin and A/G ratio.
Results
Serum albumin, globulin and A/G ratio levels did not show any statistically significant increase in OSCC patients as compared to the control group. However, A/G ratio decreased with the advancement of disease.
Conclusion
The results obtained suggested that serum albumin, globulin and A/G ratio cannot be used as serum markers for diagnosis of OSCC. However, there have been studies suggesting significant increase in the levels, hence we emphasize on the need for more studies with larger sample sizes to be conducted for determining the role.
How to cite this article
Hosalkar RM, Patel S, Pathak J, Swain N, Poonja L. Serum Albumin, Globulin and Albumin/ Globulin Ratio in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Prospective Study. J Contemp Dent 2015;5(3):149-152.