Abstract

Background: Mismatched status of oxidant–antioxidantshas been implicated in the pathogenesis of several diseases, including leukoplakia and oral cancer.
Aim: To investigate the status of lipid peroxidation and antioxidants in different stages of leukoplakia.
Materials and Methods: Twenty subjects withleukoplakia of various clinical stages and an equal number of positive and negative controlswereselected for the study. The levelsof thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and the antioxidants- superoxide dismutase, reduced glutathione, glutathione peroxidase and catalase were determined in plasma.
Results: Lipid peroxidation was found to be significantly elevated (p<0.001) while levels of antioxidants (p<0.001) weresignificantly reduced in leukoplakia as compared with positive as well as negative controls. Accordingly, significant (p<0.001) pattern of progression in TBARS was observed in various clinical stages leukoplakia.Among antioxidants,glutathione (GSH)was found to be significantly (p<0.001) reducedalong the stages on comparison with two control groups.
Conclusions: Glutathionecould be important in assessing the severity in terms of leukoplakia and malignant transformation.
Keywords: Leukoplakia,Lipid peroxidation,Oxidative stress,Free radicals,Antioxidants