Evaluation of autoantibodies in oral submucous fibrosis: A clinicopathological study

Abstract

Background: The autoimmune response may be one of the causative factors for oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF). Serum levels of antinuclear antibodies (ANAs), anti-smooth muscle antibodies (ASMAs), and antithyroid microsomal antibodies (ATMAs) were evaluated in patients with and without OSMF. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the presence of autoantibodies in patients suffering from OSMF and those without it and compare both groups for ANAs, ATMAs, and ASMAs. Materials and Methods: The participants were 70 subjects with an age group of 18–80 years. Thirty-five patients with the diagnosis of OSMF were assigned to the case group, while 35 subjects without any OSMF were assigned to the control group. Serum samples were collected from the subjects and screened for serum autoantibodies (ANAs, ASMAs, and ATMAs) by indirect immune fluorescence. Results: In the case group, most of the patients were positive for ANAs and none were positive for ASMAs. ANA positivity was found to be more significant (P < 0.001) than ATMAs and ASMAs in both groups. While 10% of patients in the control group were positive for ATMAs, the control group showed negative status for both ANAs and ASMAs. There was a male predominance with the prevalence of ANAs. Conclusion: The study suggested a possible role of autoimmune response in OSMF.