A comparative investigation of the activity of superoxide dismutase in patients with leukoplakia and healthy controls

Context and Aim: Oral leukoplakia has recently been re-defined as "a predominantly white lesion of the oral mucosa that cannot be characterised as any other definable lesion". Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is one of the enzymatic anti-oxidants which form the first line of defence in the cell. There are very limited data available on the analysis of SOD in leukoplakia patients. Therefore, the present study was planned to analyse anti-oxidant SOD levels in leukoplakia patients. Methods and Material: The study group consisted of 29 subjects of oral leukoplakia, and the control group consisted of 25 healthy individuals. All the subjects were evaluated for SOD enzyme in plasma. Statistical Analysis Used: The results for each determinant were calculated using one-way ANOVA test, Student 't' test, Pearson Chi square test, and 't' test for equality of means wherever applicable. Results: The study revealed that among the different clinical entities of oral leukoplakia, the enzymatic anti-oxidant SOD is shown to have decreased in all forms of oral leukoplakia, but without any statistical significance. A statistically highly significant decrease (at P < 0.0001) of SOD in oral leukoplakia patients compared to normal healthy patients was observed in the present study. Conclusions: The study revealed a difference in the free-radical activity and oxidative stress in blood of leukoplakia patients compared to healthy patients, which is reflected by the variation in the levels of blood SOD, thus showing vulnerability to cellular damage and tendency towards further malignant changes.