Retinoic Acid Profiles in Proliferative Verrucous Versus Homogeneous Leukoplakia: A Preliminary Nested Case-Control...

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Oncology
• Dermatology

Background:

• Oral leukoplakia (OL) and proliferative verrucous leukoplakia (PVL) lack reliable prognostic biomarkers.
• All-trans retinoic acid (atRA) influences epithelial differentiation and mucosal integrity.
• atRA is explored as a potential biomarker for oral potentially malignant disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• Quantify plasma atRA levels in OL and PVL patients versus healthy controls.
• Assess the clinical utility of plasma atRA as a prognostic biomarker.
• Investigate associations between atRA levels and clinical outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Nested case-control study with 40 participants (10 OL, 10 PVL, 20 controls).
• Plasma samples analyzed for atRA concentration using high-precision mass spectrometry.
• Statistical analysis to compare groups and correlate with outcomes.

Main Results:

• Homogeneous OL patients showed significantly lower plasma atRA than PVL patients and controls (p=0.009, p=0.039).
• No significant difference in atRA levels was observed between PVL patients and healthy controls.
• atRA levels did not correlate with clinicopathological variables or malignant progression in PVL.

Conclusions:

• Diminished plasma atRA may serve as a prognostic marker for homogeneous OL.
• The role of atRA as a biomarker appears limited in PVL.
• Preliminary findings require further investigation due to imprecise effect estimates.