Immunological Biomarkers in Oral Leukoplakia According to Oral Intraepithelial Neoplasia ( OIN ) Classification: A Comparative Analysis of Salivary and Plasma Cytokines

These findings shed light on the inflammatory profile of OL. The decrease in salivary IL-1β, IL-8, TNF-α, and MCP-1 may indicate a more suppressed local immune response, whereas the higher plasma levels of IL-6, IL-17A, IL-18, and IL-33 tend to be seen in lesions showing greater degrees of dysplasia. In particular, patients with higher OIN grades often display this systemic inflammatory shift, which may signal an increased risk of progression.