Objective: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF), a chronic progressive precancerous condition of the oral cavity and oropharynx, arises due to chewing of the areca nut or other tobacco products. Recently, our group has proposed the use of zinc acetate and vitamin A for the management of OSF. The present study examines the role of Lysyl Oxidase G473A polymorphism in the recovery after Zn-vitamin A therapy for management of OSF.

Methods: One hundred confirmed OSF patients and age–sex matched controls were included in the study. Lysyl Oxidase G473A polymorphism was determined in DNA isolated from blood samples. Lysyl Oxidase protein expression was determined by Western blotting and measured as the ratio of active LOX: pro LOX in oral mucosal biopsies from patients at pre and post therapy.

Results: Heterozygous Arg/Gln genotype was found to be significantly higher [2.063 (95% CI = 1.059–4.016) p = 0.049] in OSF cases, mainly among 26–40 years of age [4.375 (95% CI = 1.323–14.267) p = 0.029] and in male [2.38 (95% CI = 1.107–5.121) p = 0.042]. A significant decrease in mean aLOX:pLOX ratio was observed among heterozygous Arg/Gln compared to Arg/Arg OSF cases ( p = 0.05). Following Zn-vitamin A therapy, six out of seven Arg/Arg OSF cases showed decrease in aLOX:pLOX ratio. Four out of five heterozygous cases and one homozygous mutant case either showed an increased or minimal change in the aLOX:pLOX ratio.

Conclusions: The cases having Arg/Arg genotype responded well to Zn-vitamin A supplementation, whereas heterozygous and mutant carriers responded differentially to the treatment with almost no effect of the treatment on LOX expression.

Conflict of interest: None declared.