Salivary Protein Profile Alterations Secondary to Breast Cancer

Objective:

The link between disease and the oral cavity represent two clinically important factors that have given rise to the interest in using saliva as a diagnostic fluid for systemic diseases. Recent advances in molecular technology in the analysis of saliva are increasingly being used to diagnose disease and predict disease progression such as cancer.

Methods:

This study describes the use of Bioplex cytokine immunoassay to detect the presence of cancer related cytokines in the saliva of women with breast cancer. A multiplex analysis of 12 different cytokines (interleukin (IL)-1â , IL-4, IL-6, IL-8 IL-10, IFN- ã, EGF, TGF- á, TNF- á, RANTES, MCP-1 and VEGF) was performed on pooled cancer saliva specimens (n = 8), specimens from healthy women (n = 10), benign (n = 10), women diagnosed with breast cancer (n = 52), and pre op (n = 21) and post op (n = 10) specimens. These specimens were assayed on the Bioplex suspension array.

Results:

All of the cytokines were detected in saliva however, the IL-1â, EGF, TGF- á, VEGF and MCP-1, exhibited the most potential diagnostic utility. We also noted that these cytokine concentrations could be modulated as many of them exhibited a decrease in concentration after the tumor was removed (1 year post op). Concentration differences in the cytokine levels were noted between the healthy, benign, and the cancer groups.

Conclusions:

This study indicates that the presence of cancer related cytokines in saliva may have utility for monitoring patient response to chemotherapy.