Sidra Aslam, Sarah Ghafoor.
Insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling plays a pivotal role in the development of oral premalignant lesions in patients with diabetes mellitus.
Biomedica Jan ;38(3):129-33.

Diabetes mellitus is a disorder of the metabolic system that is diagnosed by hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance. Diabetic patients are frequently prone to developing oral health complications, such as being at a higher risk for developing oral precancerous conditions, like lichen planus, leukoplakia, and erythroplakia. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is a peptide hormone with a structure similar to insulin and belongs to the family of growth factors that play a vital role in the development of embryonic, postembryonic, and normal physiological functions of the human body. IGF-I, through autophosphorylation of its receptor, activates the mitogen-activated protein kinases pathway that leads to the expression of IGF-I hormone. In oral premalignant conditions, like lichen planus, submucous fibrosis, leukoplakia, and erythroplakia, the levels of the IGF-I hormone are increased. Subsequently, IGF-1 can be used as a marker for early detection of malignancy in oral premalignant lesions.

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