Plasma progastrin levels in patients with oral squamous cellcarcinoma – a cross-sectional study Section Original articles

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Published Feb 15, 2026
https://doi.org/10.62438/tunismed.v103i12.6166
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Vol. 103 No. 12 (2025): Tunis Med Dec 2025

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Madan Kumar
Department of Public Health Dentistry, Ragas Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, India
Anu V
Department of Public Health Dentistry, Chennai, Sathyabama University Dental College and Hospital , India
Srividya Kumaravel
Department of Biochemistry, Sathyabama University Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, India
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0100-1908
Ranganathan Kannan
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Ragas Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, India
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2149-4145
Aswath Narayanan
Department of Public Health Dentistry, amil Nadu Government Dental college and HospitalChennai, India

Abstract

Introduction: Progastrin, is over-expressed in human colorectal tumor cells and also directly targets the ß-catenin/Tcf4 oncogenic pathway, The association between Wnt/ß-catenin pathway and cancer is not merely restricted to colorectal cancer as disruption of this pathway results in epithelial mesenchymal transition in oral carcinogenesis. As therole of progastrin in subjects with Oral cancer(OC) is less explored, this study was contemplated to assess the role of plasma progastrin levels in subjects with various stages of oral squamous cell carcinoma.


Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional study done among 60 subjects who were divided into two study groups: Group OC (n=30) who have histologically confirmed oral squamous cell carcinomaand Group C (n=30) who were healthy controls. 10ml of blood samples were drawn from the study subjects and plasma was analysed for progastrin peptide.


Results: The present study demonstrated that the mean plasma progastrin levels (hPG80) were significantly elevated in Group OC (20.51 pM/L) when compared to the control (9.9 pM/L). No significant difference in Plasma level of progastrin between well, moderate and poorly differentiated OC and withincreasing staging of OC.


Conclusion: The present study showed increased levels of plasma progastrin in subject with oral squamous cell carcinoma when compared to the control, highlighting the potential of using plasma progastrin levels as a biomarker for early detection of oral malignancies

Keywords:

Oral squamous cell carcinoma, Human Progastrin, Oral Malignant Disorders, UV Spectrometer, plasma level

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Author Biographies

Anu V, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Chennai, Sathyabama University Dental College and Hospital , India

Professor, Sathyabama University Dental College and Hospital, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Chennai, India, Email: pcnanu@yahoo.co.in

Srividya Kumaravel, Department of Biochemistry, Sathyabama University Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, India

Reader, Sathyabama University Dental College and Hospital, Department of Biochemistry, Chennai, India, Email: srividyabiomed@gmail.com

Ranganathan Kannan, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Ragas Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, India

Professor and Head, Ragas Dental College and Hospital, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Chennai, India,

Aswath Narayanan , Department of Public Health Dentistry, amil Nadu Government Dental college and HospitalChennai, India

Professor and Head, Tamil Nadu Government Dental college and Hospital, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Chennai, India, Email: mban1965@yahoo.com

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