Background: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a well known potentially malignant condition,  affecting any part of the oral cavity. Since trace elements such as copper, iron and selenium are essential for many enzymes, it is assumed that changes in serum level of these biochemical markers may be associated with the pathogenesis of oral cancer. Recently copper has been found to be an etiological factor in the development of OSMF. Hence, we planned the present study to assess the serum copper levels in patients suffering from oral submucous fibrosis Materials & methods: The present study included assessment of 20 patients reporting with chief complaint of OSMF. 20 patients were taken as normal control. Under aseptic conditions, 5 ml of venous blood was gotten by venipuncture of the middle cubital vein, continued remaining for 30 min at room temperature. At that point, the serum was isolated by centrifugation at 3000 rpm for 15 min and saved in a solidified state at 2–8°C for 5 days until examination. The absorbance of these specimens was contrasted and the standard arrangement given in the unit utilizing a colorimeter. All the results were analysed by SPSS software. Results: The mean value of serum copper levels in patient group and OSMF group were 157.20 and 99.74 respectively. Statistically significant results were obtained while comparing mean serum copper levels among OSMF group and control group. Conclusion: Copper plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of OSMF.
Key words: Copper, Oral sub mucous fibrosis, Serum