The Role of Neopterin and Interleukin‐6 Detection in Saliva and Plasma in Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancer Patients: A Prospective Study

ABSTRACT Objectives The incidence of oral and oropharyngeal cancer is continually rising and affects increasingly younger patients. Consequently, many studies focus on early diagnosis using appropriate biomarkers. Neopterin and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) are promising predictive and prognostic markers of immune response activation, both systemic and local, due to the anatomical proximity of malignancies to the salivary glands. Material and Methods We collected oral fluid samples from 50 patients before and after the surgical resection of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and oropharynx. Additionally, blood samples were withdrawn from 20 of these patients and levels of neopterin and IL‐6 were estimated using ELISA commercial kits. All gathered data were subsequently statistically analyzed for evaluation and compared to values from a control group of healthy individuals. Results In patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), there was a significant decrease in neopterin and IL‐6 levels in saliva following the surgical removal of the malignancy. These postoperative levels approached those of the control group. There was no significant decrease in neopterin and IL‐6 levels in plasma. Conclusion Detection of neopterin and IL‐6 in saliva is a reliable diagnostic method for early detection of OSCC and its recurrence, as well as for monitoring therapeutic success, compared to plasma. Neopterin and IL‐6 appear to be promising prognostic and predictive markers of the disease.