Serum Zinc deficiency in squamous cell carcinomas of oral and maxillofacial region: a risk factor to its development and metastasis

Abstract

Background To explore whether serum Zinc deficiency (sZnd) is a promoter to the development and lymphonode metastasis of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of oral and maxillofacial region (OMF). Methods 610 patients with SCC were enrolled in the study group, the controls consisted of the same number of age-gender matched subjects without cancers, serum Zinc level (sZn) was tested in both groups and anyone whose sZn belowed reference interval was detected as having sZnd. Characteristics of SCCs were investigated. Different concentration of serum Zinc and prevalence of sZnd between the two groups were calculated using Chi-square test. The association between serum Zinc status and SCC with different T-stages and lymphonode metastasis was focused on research. Results The patients varied from 19 to 87 years with a mean age of 58.89±10.91 years. Oral cavity was the most commonly affected region. Males were involved predominantly with a ratio of 1.44:1 to females. The concentration of sZn in malignancies was 12.57±2.53 μmol/L, 17.87% suffered from sZnd; in the control group were 14.65±2.25 μmol/L and 4.75%. Decreased sZn and increased prevalence of sZnd in SCC were statistically significant to controls (p=0.000) . Increased incidence of sZnd and reduced level of sZn correlated significantly to the the progression and lymphnode metastasis of SCC (p<0.01).Conclusions sZnd was a possible predisposing indicator to the tumorigenesis of SCC and also a promoter to its aggravation and lymphonode metastasis, which should be considered as a factor in devising the treatment plannings.