Abstract
Aim: To investigate the molecular compositional difference within saliva samples obtained from both healthy individuals and from oral cancer and oropharyngeal cancer (OC/OPC) patients, before and after treatment, using attenuated transform reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR or FTIR).
Methods: Unstimulated whole saliva samples were collected from 8 individuals with OC/OPC and 8 healthy individual controls. The prepared samples were used to generate FTIR spectra within the wavenumber range of 400 cm-1 to 4000 cm-1. Infrared spectra of the whole saliva for the healthy individuals (HI) and the cancer samples, before treatment (B-OC) and after treatment (A-OC), were compared for significant differences. Analysis was conducted for original average spectra data and Fourier deconvoluted average spectra data. Second derivative analysis was also used to identify peaks of interest, and curve-fitting analysis was carried out on the deconvoluted spectral data in order to identify differences between the intensities of the deconvoluted peaks and to identify differences between areas under the peaks of interest for the three groups.
Results: No significant differences were detected between HI and B-OC groups. Significant differences (p<0.015) were observed between B-OC and A-OC groups for the wavenumber 524cm-1 when the area under peaks and intensity of wave peaks were studied.
Conclusion: In this study we were able to identify significant biochemical / wavenumber differences between the B-OC and A-OC participants. More work should be done to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy in order to determine its potential as a method of investigation of OC/OPC.