Autoantibody detection against p53 antigen in patients with oral premalignant and malignant lesions: A case control study in the high-risk population

Introduction and Aim: Serum p53 autoantibody (S-p53AAb) detection is an indirect approach to assess the status of p53 in cancers. OSCC is strongly associated with tobacco consumption and often preceded by premalignant lesions, which is a tobacco associated potentially malignant disorder. This study aims to establish the relevance of S-p53AAb as a diagnostic marker and prognostic indicator. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from 2014 to 2018 in a tertiary care dental hospital. Serum p53 antibody levels were assessed in 100 cases of biopsy proven oral squamous cell carcinoma, 100 oral premalignant lesions, and 100 normal healthy tobacco users using MESACUP Kit by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The data was collected and collated in the MS Excel sheet and analyzed using SPSS Ver.20. Qualitative variables were expressed in percentages and proportions, and quantitative variables as median and interquartile range. Results: S- p53AAb was expressed in 15% of patients with OSCC and 2% with premalignant lesion with severe epithelial dysplasia. S-p53AAb did not show any correlation with Clinicopathological indices such as tumor size, staging and histopathological grading of the lesions. The p53 antibody showed statistical significance (p<0.05), finding in those cases that involved cervical lymph nodes, classified based on TNM staging. Conclusion: Serum p53 Autoantibodies detection among the OSCC and premalignant lesions is a minimally invasive procedure to assess p53 alteration, and the presence of S- p53AAb in premalignant lesions can be an early indicator for oral cancers and poor prognosis. Keywords: Biomarkers; oral neoplasms; p53 protein; squamous cell carcinoma; tobacco.