Analysis of serum and salivary immunoglobulin M in patients with orofacial epithelial cancers.

Context: The physiological changes in the humoral immune system of patients with orofacial epithelial cancers (OECs) are considered key factors in the pathogenesis, prognosis, and management of these individuals.

Aim: This study assessed the serum and salivary immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels in patients with OECs.

Settings And Designs: This is a cross-sectional study of the serum and salivary IgM profile among patients with OEC and healthy controls.

Materials And Methods: There were 78 subjects comprising 30 patients with untreated OEC, 18 patients with OEC receiving treatment and 30 healthy, age and gender matched individuals. The serum and salivary samples from the participants were analyzed for IgM using the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay technique.

Results: The mean value of serum IgM in OEC patients receiving treatment was significantly lower compared to untreated OEC patients and healthy controls (P = 0.01). However, the mean serum IgM among untreated OEC patients was not significantly different compared with healthy controls. In contrast, the salivary IgM level did not show any significant difference among the three groups (P = 0.06). Furthermore, there was no correlation between the serum and salivary levels of IgM among the subjects.

Conclusion: The findings from this study suggest that serum IgM levels in OEC patients receiving treatment might be good biomarker while salivary IgM may not be reliable as a marker in these individuals.