Comparison of polymorphonuclear leukocyte functions in oral carcinoma patients and healthy controls

To compare the phagocytic activity and intracellular killing activity of Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes in peripheral blood of patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and healthy controls.Study comprised of thirty patients with histologically proven squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and ten controls that were age - and sex - matched healthy non - hospitalized patients that included five smokers and five non - smokers. Phagocytosis and intracellular killing activity were assayed.Student's t- test (SPSS version 11.0) and Annova were used to compare the healthy patients and oral carcinoma patients.Present study demonstrated suppression in both phagocytic as well as intracellular killing activity of PMNs in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma, when compared to that of healthy controls.A significant suppression of both phagocytosis and intracellular killing of candidal species by neutrophils was observed in the patients with Oral cancer. The relatively low candidacidal activity of neutrophils is suggestive of cellular immunosuppression which is often induced in various malignancies.