Background: Serum paraoxonase 1 is involved in mechanisms that protect cells from oxidative stress damage. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between serum paraoxonase 1 activity and polymorphisms in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma.
Methods and materials: Fifty-seven patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma and 59 matched healthy controls participated in the study. Serum paraoxonase 1 activity and polymorphisms in blood samples were compared with results for polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism tests.
Results: Mean serum paraoxonase 1 activity levels were lower in patients than controls (mean ± standard deviation, 21.9 ± 5 units/l and 120.4 ± 2 units/l, respectively) (p = 0.001). The serum paraoxonase 1 192 glutamine polymorphism was more common in patients than controls.
Conclusion: Patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma had significantly lower serum paraoxonase 1 activity levels and a greater prevalence of the serum paraoxonase 1 192 glutamine allele, compared with controls. Serum paraoxonase 1 may play a role in the aetiology of oral squamous cell carcinoma.