Clinical Significance of Serum C-Reactive Protein Levels in Oral Premalignancies and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51985/Keywords:
Biomarker; C-reactive protein; CRP; Oral premalignant disorders; OPMD; Oral squamous cell carcinomaAbstract
Objective: Assessing serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in healthy controls, individuals with oral premalignant disorders, and patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in order to determine its potential as a screening and diagnostic biomarker.
Study Design and Setting: A cross-sectional study was carried out at PNS Shifa Hospital, Karachi over one-year period using consecutive sampling.
Methodology: Seventy-eight participants were equally divided into three groups: healthy controls (n=26), patients with oral premalignant disorders (n=26) and OSCC patients (n=26). Serum CRP levels were measured using immunoturbidimetry. Statistical analysis was carried out using one-way ANOVA, chi-square test, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, and multiple regression.
Results: The mean serum CRP level showed significantly higher levels in OSCC patients compared with premalignant and healthy groups (p<0.001). There was a progressively increasing trend in CRP levels from healthy controls to premalignant lesions and OSCC. ROC analysis showed acceptable discriminative ability of serum CRP in distinguishing OSCC and premalignant conditions from healthy individuals.
Conclusion: Serum CRP levels show promising ability as a diagnostic and screening tool for oral premalignant and malignant conditions with increasing levels correlating with disease progression. However larger longitudinal studies are recommended to validate these findings.
Keywords: Biomarker; C-reactive protein; CRP; Oral premalignant disorders; OPMD; Oral squamous cell carcinoma
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