Estimation of serum beta-carotene level in patients suffering from oral submucous fibrosis.

Introduction: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF), an insidious disease, has not been widely studied with respect to levels of serum beta-carotene (b-carotene). Hence present study aimed to estimate level of serum beta carotene in patients with OSMF.

Material and methods: 40 subjects (study subjects) with different grades of OSMF and 40 apparently healthy subjects without OSMF (control subjects with age and sex matched as that of study subjects) were screened for serum b-carotene levels employing Sobel and Snow's method. Subjects in both the groups had areca nut or gutkha chewing habit.

Results: Study subjects with OSMF showed lower levels of serum b-carotene as compared to control group subjects without OSMF. When the levels were compared between different disease stages, least levels of serum b-carotene were seen in Grade III OSMF subjects, as compared with Grade I and II subjects. Females showed higher levels of serum b-carotene than males in both the groups. Smokers showed depleted levels as compared to non-smokers in both groups.

Conclusion: b-carotene plays an important role in the pathogenesis of OSMF, and its level decreases with disease progression.