Salivary Lactate Dehydrogenase and Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 as Potential Diagnostic Markers for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background: Saliva is probably the most attractive secretion for the finding of biomarkers for OSCC, as its collection is easy, non-invasive, fast, and cost-effective Objective: The aim of this study was to exam increased salivary levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 (MMP -9) that have been assessed as possible biomarkers for the diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Methods: Participants were divided into 30 (15 male and 15 female) of healthy controls, and 65 (45 male 20 female) patients were diagnosed with OSCC. The salivary levels of both LDH and MMP-9 were spectrophotometrically measured using standard LDH and MMP-9 kits. One-way ANOVA, Chi-square test, Pearson’s correlation test was applied to analyze the data. Results: The salivary levels of LDH and MMP-9 in OSCC patients were significantly higher than that the control groups. Significant associations were noted between LDH and MMP-9 salivary levels. Conclusions: Patients with OSCC had higher saliva levels of both LDH and MMP-9 than control groups.