Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 11, 2026
Examination of Oral Candida Infection in Primary Sjögren's Syndrome Patients
Published on: March 1, 2024
Changes in saliva interleukin-6 levels in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma
Jun Sato1, Jun Goto, Tsubasa Murata
1Department of Oral Pathobiological Science, Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan. jun-s@den.hokudai.ac.jp
Objective:
The aim of this study was to elucidate changes in interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in whole saliva during the treatment of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).
Study Design:
Twenty-nine consecutive inpatients with OSCC were enrolled. Stimulated saliva was collected just after hospitalization (period 1), just before main treatment (surgery in 26 cases; period 2), and at the time of discharge (period 3). The mean intervals were 11+/-8 days between periods 1 and 2 and 30+/-18 days between periods 2 and 3. Nineteen age-matched healthy control subjects were also recruited. Interleukin-6 concentrations were measured by a highly sensitive chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay.
Results:
Interleukin-6 was detected in 23 out of 29 samples in the OSCC group in period 1. The concentration of IL-6 was significantly higher in the OSCC group (mean 20.1+/-36.3 pg/mL) than in the control subjects (0.6+/-0.8 pg/mL; P=.003). The mean concentration of IL-6 at period 2 was 43.6+/-95.6 pg/mL, significantly higher than at period 1 (P=.002), and at period 3 was 17.1+/-27.6 pg/mL (P=.52 [compared with period 2]).
Conclusions:
Interleukin-6 was up-regulated in saliva in the OSCC patients. The IL-6 level tended to increase before treatment, and it returned to baseline levels after treatment.
