Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34202728›Full record

SynthesisInternational journal of molecular sciences2021

Salivary Cytokines as Biomarkers for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review.

Elena Ferrari, Margherita E Pezzi, Diana Cassi, Thelma A Pertinhez, Alberto Spisni, Marco Meleti

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in International journal of molecular sciences, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 55 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
55citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
7.1field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

55 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 76 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Review
  6. Effect of Indirect Co-Culture With Gingival Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Cytokine Secretion in Primary Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2026
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Review
  10. NCOA7 promotes OSCC progression by inhibiting ROS-regulated ferroptosis.Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS · 2026
    Article
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Review
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. Review
  17. Article
  18. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated Knockout ofCancer genomics & proteomics · 2025
    Article
  19. Salivary biomarkers: a promising approach for predicting immunotherapy response in head and neck cancers.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2025
    Review
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Elena FerrariDepartment of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43125 Parma, Italy.
Margherita E PezziCentro Universitario di Odontoiatria, University of Parma, 43125 Parma, Italy.
Diana CassiDentistry and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Department of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Science with Interest in Transplant Oncological and Regenerative Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 40100 Modena, Italy.
Thelma A PertinhezDepartment of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43125 Parma, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-3065-6567
Alberto SpisniDepartment of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43125 Parma, Italy.
Marco MeletiDepartment of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43125 Parma, Italy.
University of Parma · ITUniversity of Modena and Reggio Emilia · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The prognosis of patients with oral squamous carcinoma (OSCC) largely depends on the stage at diagnosis, the 5-year survival rate being approximately 30% for advanced tumors. Early diagnosis, including the detection of lesions at risk for malignant transformation, is crucial for limiting the need for extensive surgery and for improving disease-free survival. Saliva has gained popularity as a readily available source of biomarkers (including cytokines) useful for diagnosing specific oral and systemic conditions. Particularly, the close interaction between oral dysplastic/neoplastic cells and saliva makes such fluid an ideal candidate for the development of non-invasive and highly accurate diagnostic tests. The present review has been designed to answer the question: "Is there evidence to support the role of specific salivary cytokines in the diagnosis of OSCC?" We retrieved 27 observational studies satisfying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Among the most frequent cytokines investigated as candidates for OSCC biomarkers, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α are present at higher concentration in the saliva of OSCC patients than in healthy controls and may therefore serve as basis for the development of rapid tests for early diagnosis of oral cancer.

Indexed as

BiomarkersBiomarkers, TumorCarcinoma, Squamous CellCytokinesHumansLiquid BiopsyMouth NeoplasmsPrognosisSalivaBiomarkersBiomarkers, TumorCytokinesbiomarkerscytokinesoral canceroral potentially malignant disordersoral squamous cell carcinoma

Identifiers

PMID34202728
PMCPMC8267678
OpenAlexW3175193682

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.