Salivary Volatile Organic Compound Molecular Signatures in Oral Carcinogenesis: An Analytical Study

Introduction: Oral cancer is a major health issue in India. Oral cancers are often preceded by oral potentially malignant disorders like leukoplakia. The objective of the study was to identify unique salivary volatile organic compound patterns in the oral carcinogenesis process. Materials and Methods: A case–control study was designed with study groups comprising Group 1: oral squamous cell carcinoma patients ( n = 12), Group 2: oral leukoplakia with high-grade dysplasia ( n = 12), and healthy controls ( n = 24). Unstimulated saliva was collected, and volatile organic compounds were extracted using Zeolite Socony Mobil and polydimethylsiloxane hybrid film and qualitatively analysed using gas chromatographic-mass spectrometry. The qualitative identification of volatile organic compounds was done using a mass spectrum library search program. Comparisons between the groups were done by the chi-square test. Results: We were able to identify 178 volatile organic compounds in our study and control groups. There were ten compounds showing significant associations with the oral carcinogenesis process. The prevalence of compounds like 1-hydroxy-2-propanone, butanoic acid, 2-methyl propanoic acid, hydrocinnamic acid, propylene glycol, and 4-methyl-pentanoic acid was higher in both study groups compared to the control. Volatile organic compounds with increased prevalence among leukoplakia patients were acetoin, phenol, mercaptoacetic acid, and 2-hydroxy gamma butyrolactone. Conclusion: The salivary volatile organic compounds showed characteristic patterns in patients with oral cancer and leukoplakia, reflecting the cellular alterations of oral carcinogenesis. The study also revealed a unique set of volatile organic compounds with increased prevalence only in leukoplakias with high-grade dysplasia.