DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2015.v03i01.044

Pages: 214-216

The objective of this study was to evaluate the level of copper (Cu) in saliva of patients with oral leukoplakia (OL) and to compare the values with healthy controls. The study group comprised of 25 clinically diagnosed and histopathologically confirmed cases of OL; 25 age- and sex-matched controls were also enrolled in the study. The salivary copper levels were estimated using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Mean copper level differed significantly (p<0.05) between the patients and the controls with patients exhibiting higher Cu (137.44±47.03) levels in contrast to controls who presented lower Cu (112.68±37.95). In conclusion, saliva may be used as a potential diagnostic tool, which can be employed to evaluate the copper level of OL. Further research is required to identify the exact reason for increased salivary Cu levels in OL patients by correlating histopathological changes and various tobacco habits in patients with OL in larger samples.