Introduction: Bullous Erosive Oral Lichen Planus (BEOLP) is a potentially malignant condition with high rate of transformation into Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC), and aiming to reduce the morbidity and mortality rate arising from OLP; the early diagnosis of oral cancer was recommended. Many biomarkers were found to be released into the serum and the saliva during the course of both diseases, BEOLP and OSCC. One of these proteins is visfatin.
Aim of the study: The aim of this study was to evaluate salivary level of visfatin and to find out if it can be used instead of its serum level as an early diagnostic biomarker for patients with either BEOLP or OSCC.
Subjects and Methods: The study was conducted on 3 groups; group (A) which included fifteen medically free subjects, group (B) which included fifteen patients suffering from BEOLP, and finally group (C) which included fifteen patients suffering from OSCC. Serum and salivary samples were collected and visfatin levels were measured using an ELISA kit (Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay). Data were analyzed by SPSS.
Results: The present study detected no statistically significant difference between mean visfatin levels in BEOLP and OSCC groups; both showed statistically significantly higher mean levels than control group which showed the lowest mean visfatin level. It Also revealed a statistically significant positive (direct) correlation between serum and salivary visfatin levels (r = 0.835, P-value <0.001) i.e. an increase in serum level of visfatin is associated with an increase in salivary level of Visfatin.
Conclusion: Salivary level of visfatin can be used instead of its serum level as a biomarker for BEOLP and OSCC.