Salivary biomarkers for the early detection of oral cancer. Literature review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5377/ul.v18i1.23837Keywords:
Biomarkers, Saliva, Oral cancer, DiagnosisAbstract
Oral cancer is a major global public health issue due to its high incidence and mortality rates, largely resulting from late diagnosis. The detection of salivary biomarkers has emerged as a promising, non-invasive alternative with potential for application in primary care settings. This study aimed to analyze the diagnostic accuracy of salivary panels based on proteins and microRNAs for the early detection of oral cancer. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following the PRISMA protocol; searches were performed across PubMed, LILACS, SciELO, DOAJ, Ovid, Scopus, Open Search Library, and the UNAN-León institutional repository, including open-access case-control studies in English and Spanish. Data were analyzed using OpenEpi (v.3), applying stratified analysis and the Breslow-Day test. Of the 311 studies identified, 14 met the inclusion criteria. The results showed that eleven studies evaluated protein biomarkers, while three analyzed microRNAs. The biomarkers IL-6, miR-93, and miR-412-3p demonstrated the highest sensitivity and specificity, approaching 100%. Significant heterogeneity was observed among the studies (p < 0.0000001). The study concludes that genetic biomarkers had a better diagnostic performance compared to protein biomarkers, and that implementation in national reference laboratories is feasible through the use of mixed panels.
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