Evaluation of salivary sialic acid and salivary Alpha-L-Fucosidase levels in patients with oral submucous fibrosis- A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Saliva, a non-invasive diagnostic tool, is used to evaluate sialic acid and Alpha-L-Fucosidase in OSMF. Sialylation and fucosylation are glycosylation changes that mediate vital biological functions. By stabilizing glycoproteins and cellular membranes, sialic acid contributes to the identification and interaction of cells in biological systems. Alpha-L-Fucosidase is an enzyme found in lysosomes and responsible for catalyzing the hydrolytic cleavage of terminal fucose residue. Aim: To evaluate and compare salivary Sialic acid and salivary Alpha-L-fucosidase levels in patients with OSMF with age and gender-matched healthy controls and different stages of OSMF. Materials and Methods: The study included 30 Patients with clinically diagnosed OSMF and 30 age and gender-matched healthy controls. Unstimulated whole saliva samples were collected by the spit method. A saliva sample was used to estimate salivary sialic acid and salivary Alpha-L-glucosidase (ELISA) method. Results: Salivary Sialic acid and salivary Alpha-L-fucosidase levels were significantly higher (P < 0.001***) in patients with OSMF compared to healthy controls, and the levels gradually increased with an increase in the stages of the OSMF. Conclusion: Salivary Sialic acid and salivary Alpha-L-fucosidase in patients with OSMF can be a reliable biomarker for early detection and progression and have prognostic value.