Examining the secretor status in the saliva of patients with oral pre-cancerous lesions

It has been demonstrated in a number of earlier studies on the aetiology and pathogenesis of certain diseases that the patients' secretor status (ABO (H) blood group antigens) may possibly be a factor influencing the development of systemic oral diseases. This likelihood has prompted the present study, to examine the differences in the saliva secretor status by comparing patients with oral pre-cancerous lesions on the one hand, and the healthy population on the other; (i) in relation to the intensity of the clinical manifestation of diseases and (ii) in relation to the intensity of epithelial dysplasia of patients with oral pre-cancerous lesions. In total 122 subjects were examined, half of whom suffered from oral pre-cancerous lesions (excluding Candida albicans in oral smears), while the other half were the healthy control group. All were subjected to clinical oral examinations and standard evaluation tests in order to establish the secretor status of their saliva. In the group of patients with oral pre-cancerous lesions (experimental group), a pathohistological examination of the oral mucosa was performed. The results have demonstrated that the large majority of the people examined in both groups were secretors and no significant difference between secretors and non-secretors was found in the comparison between the experimental group and the healthy control group. However, (i) we found a higher intensity of oral disease in the non-secretor group, and (ii) the occurrence of epithelial dysplasia was found exclusively in the non-secretor group.