Validation of the diagnostic utility of salivary interleukin 8 in the differentiation of potentially malignant oral lesions and oral squamous cell carcinoma in a region with high endemicity

Objective. To evaluate the clinical utility of salivary interleukin 8 (IL-8) in the differential diagnosis of potentially malignant lesions (PMLs) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in a region with high oral cancer prevalence. Study Design. Saliva and blood samples were collected from 100 participants in each group (OSCC, PMLs, and healthy controls). Serum and salivary IL-8 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The data were subjected to appropriate statistical analysis. Results. A significant increase in levels of serum and salivary IL-8 was found in OSCC compared with PMLs. and healthy controls. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis found salivary IL-8 to have superior sensitivity in detecting OSCC. A significant increase in IL-8 levels based on the histologic grading of OSCC was also observed. Conclusions. This study confirms that salivary IL-8 can be a potent marker that can be used as a tool in the differential diagnosis of PMLs and OSCC.