Plasma enzymatic antioxidant levels in non smoke tobacco consuming Oral sub mucous fibrosis (OSMF)

Background: Globally Oral Cancer is the sixth most common cause death with India accounts for 86% of the world’s oral cancer cases. Chronic tobacco quid consumption often results in a progressive premalignant condition called Oral Sub mucous Fibrosis (OSMF) whose malignant transformation rate of is around 7.6%. Free radicals released during the metabolism of tobacco and Areca nut my involved in the initiation and propagation of mucosal fibrosis. Objective: the objective of the present study is to measure antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation levels in OSMF to assess oxidative stress like environment in OSMF patients. Materials and methods: for this study we invited 38 newly diagnosed OSMF patients both male and female consuming tobacco in the form of quid and the same number of age matched healthy non tobacco consuming were selected as a control group. In both groups plasma superoxide dismutase, Glutathione peroxidase, catalase levels and lipid peroxidation rate was measured. Results and conclusion: we observed very low antioxidant enzyme levels in OSMF patients when compared with healthy controls (P<0.01) and at the same time also observed very high lipid peroxidation rate in the study population (P<0.01) compare to control group indicating prevalence of oxidative stress like environment in tobacco consuming population, which might play a vital role in the initiation and propagation of various precancerous conditions like OSMF.